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Teacher  Training  Series 

EDITED    BY 

W.  W.  CHARTERS 

Professor  of  Educaiion,  Carnegie  Institute  of  Technology 


THE 

COMMUNITY  CENTER 


BY 

L.  J.  HANIFAN 

STATE    SUPERVISOR   OF   RURAL   SCHOOLS 
WEST   VIRGINIA 


/     '   ^     .    >' 


SILVER,  BURDETT  &  COMPANY 
BOSTON        NEW  YORK        CHICAGO         SAN  FRANCISCO 


COPTBIGHT,   1920, 

Bt  silver,  BUEDETT  &  COMPANY. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

In  1913,  at  the  suggestion  of  Hon.  M.  P.  Shawkey, 
State  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  West  Virginia,  I  pre- 
pared A  Handbook  for  Community  Meetings  at  Rural 
Schoolhouses,  for  the  use  of  West  Virginia  teachers  in 
a  campaign  for  reviving  community  social  life,  particu- 
larly in  rural  and  village  communities.  Soon  after  this 
handbook  was  issued.  Dr.  P.  P.  Claxton  requested,  and 
was  furnished,  thirty-five  hundred  copies  for  distribution 
among  the  county  superintendents  of  the  United  States. 
The  continued  demand  for  this  handbook  has  been  such 
that  finally  the  editor  of  this  series  requested  me  to  pre- 
pare the  manuscript  of  a  book  on  the  community  center, 
for  teachers  and  educators  interested  in  this  movement, 
which  should  cover  the  entire  field  in  a  more  compre- 
hensive way. 

Briefly  stated,  the  book  undertakes  to  present  some  of 
the  more  important  rural  life  problems,  particularly 
as  regards  rural  social  life  and  recreation,  and  to  offer 
suggestions  as  to  how  the  teacher,  by  means  of  the  school 
as  a  community  center,  may  contribute  very  largely 
to  the  solution  of  these  problems.  In  order  that  the 
reader  may  not  conclude  too  readily  that  some  of  the 
suggestions  are  fanciful,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  quote 
a  few  of  the  many  statements  which  teachers  have  made 
to  me  by  letter  as  to  how  they  have  put  these  suggestions 

iii 


412838 


iv  Author's  Preface 

into  practice,  and  what  they  have  accomplished  thereby 
in  the  estabhshment  and  maintenance  of  community 
centers.  Chapters  XI  and  XII  contain  suggestive  pro- 
grams, most  of  which  have  been  successfully  used  by 
teachers. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  book  I  am  indebted  to  so 
large  a  number  of  authors  and  educators  that  I  am  un- 
able to  give  proper  acknowledgments.  I  am  especially 
indebted  to  the  editor  and  to  Hon.  M.  P.  Shawkey,  whose 
inspiration  led  me  to  undertake  the  writing  of  this  volume. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  USING  THE  BOOK 

This  book  has  been  prepared  in  the  hope  that  it  will  be 
serviceable  to  superintendents,  supervisors,  and  teachers 
in  carrying  forward  the  community  center  work  which 
is  now  well  under  way  among  rural  and  village  com- 
munities in  nearly  all  the  states.  The  aim  has  been  to 
emphasize  strongly  two  things  which  the  author  believes 
to  be  fundamental  in  any  plan  that  may  be  followed  in 
the  improvement  of  rural  life  conditions:  (1)  The  re- 
direction of  rural  life  forces  must  be  effected  by  the  rural 
people  themselves;  (2)  for  the  present,  and  probably 
for  a  good  many  years  to  come,  the  active  work  of  such 
redirection  must  be  carried  on  mainly  by  means  of  com- 
munity activities  centering  .around  the  school  and  under 
the  active  leadership  of  school  superintendents,  super- 
visors, and  teachers,  with  the  cooperation  of  all  other 
available  agencies  of  leadership. 

In  some  states  one  of  the  major  functions  of  the  county 
teachers'  institute  is  to  map  out  the  general  plans  for  the 
work  of  the  schools  in  the  ensuing  school  year.  Such 
plans  should  be  laid  by  the  county  superintendent  and 


Author^  s  Preface  V 

the  supervisors  and  teachers  working  together.  The 
important  consideration  is  that  all  shall  understand  what 
the  plans  are  and  how  best  to  carry  them  out  in  the 
schools.  Under  such  conditions  this  book  will  be  sug- 
gestive in  formulating  plans  for  carrying  on  the  commu- 
nity center  activities.  As  the  work  proceeds,  divisional 
supervisors  and  principals  will  be  able,  in  teachers'  meet- 
ings and  conferences  with  teachers,  to  work  out  the  details 
of  such  plans  and  to  adapt  them  to  the  local  conditions. 

Chapters  I  to  V  deal  with  some  of  the  more  fundamental 
principles  underlying  the  community  center  movement 
as  related  to  rural  life  conditions.  Chapters  VI  to  X  are 
intended  to  indicate  the  nature  and  the  scope  of  com- 
munity center  activities  and,  partly  by  discussion  and 
partly  by  illustration,  to  offer  some  suggestions  for  carry- 
ing on  the  community  center  work.  Chapters  XI  and 
XII  contain  a  number  of  programs  which  may  be  found 
suggestive  to  teachers  or  other  community  leaders  in 
making  definite  plans  for  the  meetings.  Chapter  XI 
deals  with  entertainment  programs,  while  Chapter  XII 
suggests  programs  bearing  upon  country  life.  But  since 
these  two  kinds  of  program  may  be  used  interchangeably, 
the  reader  would  do  well  in  actual  practice  to  regard 
these  two  chapters  as  one. 

In  reading  a  book  of  this  kind,  one  is  apt  to  read  the 
chapter  first  and  then  give  more  or  less  casual  attention 
to  the  exercises  at  the  end  of  the  chapter.  This  method 
of  reading  might  be  improved  by  first  examining  the 
"  exercises  "  as  a  guide  to  the  reading.  It  is  believed 
that  the  use  of  the  book  for  reading  circle  purposes  may 
be  made  most  helpful  by  the  latter  method. 

I  L.  J.  Hanifan. 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE 

The  truism  that  man  is  a  social  animal,  which  has  been 
accepted  with  growing  importance  by  sociologists  for 
several  generations,  is  now  becoming  an  integral  portion 
of  the  principles  of  education,  and  during  the  past  few 
years  much  attention  has  been  given  to  exploiting  and 
developing  this  idea.  But,  as  in  all  activities  of  the  in- 
stincts, favorable  conditions  are  demanded  for  the  de- 
velopment of  sociality  and  unfavorable  conditions  cause 
it  to  fall  into  atrophy  and  disuse. 

In  no  situation  is  this  more  noticeably  manifested  than 
in  the  rhythmic  rise  and  fall  of  sociality  in  rural  com- 
munities. Our  parents  relate  with  pride  and  affection 
their  early  reminiscences  of  the  singing  schools,  the  spelling 
bees,  and  the  revival  meetings  of  their  youth.  In  those 
earlier  days  when  transportation  was  slow,  when  books 
were  few  and  newspapers  scarce,  the  instinctive  demands 
for  amusement  and  intercourse  could  be  met  solely  or 
chiefly  by  the  social  gathering,  which  seemed  to  be  best 
nurtured  and  maintained  when  centered  around  some 
such  intellectual  or  emotional  interest. 

But  with  the  passing  of  time,  in  the  country  districts 
other  means  of  satisfying  these  social  demands  have 
developed.  Rural  delivery  brings  the  news  of  the  out- 
side world  in  newspapers,  magazines,  and  letters;  the 
automobile  makes  the  nearest  village  as  close  as  was  the 
neighbor's  house  formerly;  and  from  the  village,  trains 
can  carry  the  rural  resident  to  his  metropolis  in  a  few 

vi 


Editor's  Preface  vii 

hours.  The  substantial  citizens  around  whom  and  whose 
famines  the  social  life  of  the  community  naturally  circu- 
lates are  moving  to  the  cities  to  give  their  children  the 
opportunities  for  education  which  were  not  known  or 
realized  a  generation  ago.  The  school  teacher,  once  an 
important  citizen  of  the  community,  is  now  a  young 
man  or  woman  serving  his  immature  apprenticeship 
before  entering  upon  a  teaching  or  business  career  in  the 
city. 

Under  these  conditions  it  is  only  natural  that  the  rural 
family  should  get  its  news  of  world  events  from  the 
newspaper  and  its  amusement  in  the  city,  that  the  social 
gatherings  of  the  past  should  disappear,  and  that  social 
cohesiveness  should  be  destroyed  by  a  multitude  of  dis- 
tracting forces.  But  it  is  also  only  natural  that,  once 
these  distractions  have  been  weighed  and  placed  in  their 
proper  position  in  perspective,  thoughtful  rural  leaders 
should  seek  to  restore  the  values  obtained  in  community 
organizations.  Not  that  it  is  possible  or  desirable  to 
return  to  the  earlier  forms  of  social  organization,  but  that 
the  spirit  of  the  old  be  reintegrated  in  the  forms  of  the 
new.  Not  that  rural  free  delivery  should  be  abolished 
and  the  automobile  discarded,  but  that  these  should  be 
used  along  with  other  improvements  of  rural  living,  for 
the  development  of  a  more  powerful  form  of  social  life. 

To  the  accomplishment  of  this  end  the  community 
center  has  become  a  valuable  agency  which,  although 
yet  in  its  infancy,  has  been  productive  of  great  good  in 
restoring  the  pleasures  of  country  life,  reinstating  the 
teacher  in  his  rightful  place  of  leadership,  and  making 
educational  conditions  so  satisfactory  that  families  do 
not  need  to  leave  the  community  in  order  to  obtain  at- 
tractive advantages. 


viii  Editor's  Preface 

In  this  field  the  author  is  a  leader  of  national  im- 
portance among  school  men.  He  has  demonstrated 
the  value  of  the  methods  by  carrying  them  into  success- 
ful practice,  and  by  virtue  of  his  practical  experience  he 
is  able  not  only  to  describe  the  theories  of  developing 
community  centers  but  to  do  what  is  absolutely  essential 
—  provide  the  reader  with  specific  illustrations  of  the 
richest  suggestiveness  for  carrying  the  theories  into  action. 
While  these  illustrations  are  chiefly  applicable  to  com- 
munities in  the  open  country,  the  theories  apply  with 
equal  validity  to  the  cities,  and  the  illustrations  are  sug- 
gestive of  methods  which  may  be  used  in  urban  com- 
munity centers. 

w.  w.  c. 


CONTENTS 

PAGB 

Chapter       I.  The   Community  Center  and  the  World 

War 1 

Chapter      II.  Leadership  and  the  Community  Center    .  17 

Chapter    III.  The  Community  Center  Idea      ...  40 

Chapter     IV.  The  Enjoyment  of  Leisure         ...  57 

Chapter      V.  Recreation 71 

Chapter     VI.  Social  Capital  —  Its  Development  and  Use  78 

Chapter  VII.  The   Community   Center   as    an    Aid    to 

Teaching 91 

Chapter  VIII.  First  Steps  in  the  Community  Center      .  105 

Chapter    IX.  Special  School  Programs     .        .        .        .115 

Chapter      X.  Miscellaneous  Activities  within  the  Com- 
munity Center 124 

Chapter    XI.  Entertainment  Programs  for  Community 

Meetings 141 

Chapter  XII.  Country  Life  Programs       .       .       .       .181 

Bibliography 209 

Index 213 


IX 


THE  COMMUNITY  CENTER 

CHAPTER   I 

THE  COMMUNITY  CENTER  AND  THE  WORLD  WAR 

1.  THE  SCHOOL  BECOMES  A  NATIONAL  CENTER 

America  gave  to  the  world  the  most  democratic  in- 
stitution among  civilized  people  —  the  public  school. 
So  thoroughly  has  this  institution  been  established  in  this 
country  that  rarely  can  a  family  be  found  that  is  not  within 
reach  of  a  free  public  school.  Yet  it  required  a  world  war 
to  impress  the  American  people  and  the  American  Govern- 
ment with  the  strategic  value  of  this  public  institution  as 
a  means  of  reaching  all  the  people  in  matters  of  common 
concern.  During  the  several  months  that  America  was 
engaged  in  the  recent  war  against  the  Germans,  we  were 
told  that  this  or  that  branch  of  the  federal  service  would 
win  the  war.  Mr.  Herbert  Hoover  told  us  that  food  would 
win  the  war.  Others  told  us  that  men  and  guns  would 
win  the  war.  We  might  have  followed  the  example  by 
asserting  that  the  schools  would  win  the  war.  Anyway, 
the  war  has  been  won  by  the  friends  of  liberty  and  freedom, 
and  we  know  that  the  schools,  by  serving  as  an  active 
means  of  communication  between  the  Government  and  the 
people,  had  a  large  part  in  achieving  a  victory  for  civiliza- 
tion. We  know,  for  example,  that  if  food  did  win  the  war, 
it  did  so  largely  because  the  school  teacher  and  the  school 

1 


2  \  '<  '  :  c^  c .  <     ^^^  6btnmunity  Center 

children  —  the  school  —  enabled  the  Food  Administration 
to  direct  its  messages  to  the  people. 

In  her  article,  "Getting  Together/ '^  Miss  Margaret 
Woodrow  Wilson  has  indicated  how  difficult  it  was  at  first 
for  the  National  Government  to  reach  the  people  of  our 
country  with  its  plans  for  carrying  on  its  part  in  the  World 
War :  ''  Hitherto  the  Government  has  used  the  newspapers, 
the  magazines,  trade  publications,  public  highways,  wom- 
en's clubs,  churches,  patriotic  bodies,  fraternal  and  com- 
mercial organizations  —  in  short,  every  conceivable  channel 
to  which  it  can  gain  entrance  for  the  word  it  wishes  to  spread 
and  which  promises  some  assistance.  The  result  is  that 
some  of  the  people  are  reached  in  a  dozen  different  ways, 
even  to  the  creation  of  cross-currents  and  a  divided  alle- 
giance, while  others  are  not  reached  at  all.  .  .  . 

"The  difficulty  of  the  organizations  through  which  the 
Government  has  tried  to  reach  the  people  is  that  none 
of  them  offers  a  means  of  reaching  all  the  people.  But 
there  is  one  institution  in  America,  and  only  one,  which 
reaches  out  to  all  the  people,  to  all  ages,  sexes,  and  races 
at  one  time  or  another,  and  that  is  the  public  school.'' 

Every  School  a  National  Center.  "More  and  more," 
says  Dr.  Finley,^  "are  we  coming  to  think  of  the  school 
as  the  community  or  neighborhood  center.  And  more 
and  more  are  we  in  the  schools  coming,  I  think,  to  regard 
our  work  as  a  volunteer  service  to  the  state  rather  than 
a  means  of  livelihood.  But  now  our  schools  become 
suddenly  recognized,  under  the  message  of  our  School- 
master President  and  under  the  appeals  of  our  nation's 
needs,  both  to  teachers  and  pupils,  as  national  centers  — 
centers  through  which  these  national  needs  may  come  to 

*  Ladies*  Home  Journal,  December,  1917 
» Educational  Foundations,  November,  1917 


The  Community  Center  and  the  World  War    3 

the  knowledge  of  all  the  people,  centers  from  and  through 
which  patriotic  sentiment  will  express  itself  and  patriotic 
service  will  give  itself." 

At  the  midyear  convention  of  the  National  Education 
Association,  which  met  at  Atlantic  City,  February  25- 
March  2,  1918,  the  program  was  given  almost  wholly 
to  discussions  of  the  public  school  as  a  national  institution. 
We  in  America  are  beginning  at  last  to  think  of  the  school 
not  solely  as  a  community  asset  but  also  as  a  national 
asset  of  supreme  importance.  Perhaps  the  most  hopeful 
phase  of  this  awakening  is  the  disposition  of  our  leading 
educators  to  regard  the  rural  school,  however  small,  as 
being  of  equal  importance  with  the  larger  school  units 
in  matters  of  national  welfare. 

Congress  Contemplates  Federal  Aid.  The  Congress 
of  the  United  States  has  had  under  consideration  the 
proposition  of  providing  federal  aid  to  rural  schools,  in 
recognition  of  their  value  as  a  means  of  training  efficient, 
loyal  citizens  of  the  Republic.  The  fact  that  such  a 
large  number  of  the  men  drafted  into  the  army  service 
were  illiterate  has  done  as  much  as  any  other  one  thing, 
perhaps,  in  causing  the  National  Government  more  fully 
to  realize  the  potential  value  of  the  school  as  an  asset 
to  national  well-being. 

A  Letter  from  President  Wilson.  President  Wilson  has 
been  among  the  first  to  appreciate  the  new  opportunities 
of  the  school  as  revealed  to  us  by  the  necessities  of  war. 
On  August  23,  1917,  he  addressed  to  school  officials  the 
following  letter : 

The  war  is  bringing  to  the  minds  of  our  people  a  new  appreciation 
of  the  problems  of  national  life  and  a  deeper  understanding  of  the 
meaning  and  aims  of  democracy.  Matters  which  heretofore  have 
seemed  commonplace  and  trivial  are  seen  in  a  truer  light.    The 


4  The  Community  Center 

urgent  demand  for  the  production  and  proper  distribution  of  food 
and  other  national  resources  has  made  us  aware  of  the  close  depend- 
ence of  individual  on  individual  and  nation  on  nation.  The  effort  to 
keep  up  social  and  industrial  organizations  in  spite  of  the  withdrawal 
of  men  for  the  army  has  revealed  the  extent  to  which  modern  life 
has  become  complex  and  specialized. 

These  and  other  lessons  of  the  war  must  be  learned  quickly  if  we 
are  intelligently  and  successfully  to  defend  our  institutions.  When 
the  war  is  over,  we  must  apply  the  wisdom  which  we  have  acquired  in 
purging  and  ennobling  the  life  of  the  world. 

In  these  vital  tasks  of  acquiring  a  broader  view  of  human  possi- 
bilities, the  common  school  must  have  a  large  part.  I  urge  that 
teachers  and  other  school  officers  increase  materially  the  time  and 
attention  devoted  to  instruction  bearing  directly  on  the  problems  of 
community  and  national  life. 

Such  a  plea  is  in  no  way  foreign  to  the  spirit  of  American  public 
education  or  of  existing  practices.  Nor  is  it  a  plea  for  a  temporary 
enlargement  of  the  school  program  appropriate  merely  to  the  period 
of  the  war.  It  is  a  plea  for  a  realization  in  public  education  of  the 
new  emphasis  which  the  war  has  given  to  the  ideals  of  democracy 
and  to  the  broader  conceptions  of  national  life. 

In  order  that  there  may  be  definite  material  at  hand  with  which 
the  schools  may  at  once  expand  their  teaching,  I  have  asked  Mr. 
Hoover  and  Commissioner  Claxton  to  organize  the  proper  agencies 
for  the  preparation  and  distribution  of  suitable  lessons  for  the  ele- 
mentary grades  and  for  the  high  school  classes.  Lessons  thus  sug- 
gested will  serve  the  double  purpose  of  illustrating  in  a  concrete 
way  what  can  be  undertaken  in  the  schools,  and  of  stimulating 
teachers  in  all  parts  of  the  country  to  formulate  new  and  appropriate 
materials  drawn  directly  from  the  communities  in  which  they  live. 

Lessons  in  Community  and  National  Life.  Following 
these  suggestions  of  President  Wilson,  Mr.  Hoover  and 
Commissioner  Claxton  arranged  for  the  publication,  by 
the  United  States  Bureau  of  Education,  of  Lessons  in 
Community  and  National  Ldfe,  prepared  by  experts  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  Charles  H.  Judd  and  Dean  Leon 
C.  Mar^hall^  of  the  University  of  Chicago.    In  the  in- 


The  Community  Center  and  the  World  War    5 

troduction  to  the  series  of  volumes  Director  Judd  states 
the  purpose  of  the  Lessons  in  Community  and  National 
Life  to  be : 

(1)  To  lay  the  foundations  for  an  intelligent  enthusiasm  for  the 
United  States. 

(2)  To  bring  industry  into  the  schools  in  a  way  which  will  appeal 
to  the  intelligence  of  pupils  and  will  intellectualize  all  later  con- 
tact with  practical  affairs. 

(3)  To  create  a  sense  of  personal  responsibility,  which  can  re- 
sult only  when  the  pupil  is  shown  how  life  is  interdependent  with 
the  life  of  other  members  of  society. 

Lessons  for  Adults.  As  this  book  proceeds,  it  will 
be  apparent  how  this  project  for  "a  realization  in  public 
education  of  the  new  emphasis  which  the  war  has  given 
to  the  ideals  of  democracy  and  to  the  broader  conceptions 
of  national  life,"  is  related  to  the  aim  of  the  community 
center.  What  these  lessons  aim  to  teach  the  children 
in  the  schools,  the  community  center  aims  to  teach  all 
the  people  as  they  assemble  at  their  schoolhouses.  This 
partially  compensates  those  of  a  previous  generation  for 
the  loss  they  sustained  by  the  shortcomings  of  the  schools 
of  their  day. 

Other  Nations  and  the  Community  Center.  Due 
doubtless  to  her  once  highly  centralized  form  of  govern- 
ment, Germany  was  perhaps  the  first  to  recognize  the 
significance  of  the  public  school  as  a  national  and  com- 
munity center.  In  the  days  'of  her  prosperity,  every 
teacher  in  Germany  was  a  trained  specialist  in  the  direct 
employ  of  the  state.  He  was  the  recognized  leader  of 
his  community.  Through  him  the  government  carried 
out  its  plans  of  making  every  family  a  national  asset/ 
Through  this  local  leader  the  people  were  instructed, 
directed,   and   informed    by  the    German    government. 


6  The  Community  Center 

The  school,  in  other  words,  was  the  means  the  govern- 
ment used  for  its  contact  with  the  people.  And,  al- 
though the  German  government  made  the  school,  as 
everything  else,  an  instrument  of  the  state,  yet  the 
efficiency  with  which  the  plan  was  executed  emphasizes 
all  the  more  the  efficacy  of  the  school  as  a  commimity 
center  for  the  strengthening  of  national  ideals. 

Of  the  democratic  nations,  France  saw  first,  and  per- 
"haps  more  clearly  than  other  nations,  the  powerful  aid 
of  the  school  in  keeping  up  the  morale  of  the  people  during 
the  darkest  days  of  her  recent  struggle.  Every  week,  in 
all  the  schoolhouses  of  France,  men  and  women  and 
youths  assembled  at  evening  to  listen  to  the  reading  of 
the  "  Bulletin,"  a  printed  statement  containing  news 
from  the  bureaus  in  Paris  about  the  conduct  and  the 
progress  of  the  war.  It  would  be  hard  to  overestimate 
the  influence  which  this  coming  together  had  upon  the 
fortunes  and  the  successes  of  the  armies  of  France. 

Experience  of  the  United  States  Government.  For- 
tunately, very  soon  after  the  United  States  entered  the 
war,  our  Government  saw  not  only  the  possibilities  of 
the  school  in  communicating  its  calls  for  service  to  the 
people,  but  also,  as  Miss  Wilson  states,  the  absolute 
necessity  of  the  school  in  carrying  out  the  Government's 
programs  of  waging  war  against  Germany  and  her  allies. 
The  results  of  the  Food  Pledge  Card  Campaign,  which 
was  carried  to  success  largely  through  the  medium  of  the 
schools  by  the  teachers  and  pupils,  and  by  public  gather- 
ings of  the  people  at  the  schoolhouses,  led  the  Govern- 
ment to  resort  to  the  same  means  for  carrying  on  the 
•Liberty  Loan  drives,  the  Red  Cross  drives,  the  sale  of 
war  savings  stamps,  etc.  Many  thousands  of  people 
were  informed  about,  and  became  interested  in,  these 


The  Community  Center  and  the  World  War    7 

several  enterprises  of  the  Federal  Government,  who 
possibly  could  not  have  been  reached  in  any  other  way. 
The  success  of  all  of  these  campaigns  has  demonstrated 
beyond  question  that  the  school  is  the  surest,  cheapest,  ^ 
and  speediest  means  the  Government  had  of  reaching  all 
the  people,  and  of  securing  their  cooperation  in  prosecut- 
ing its  program  of  helping  to  make  the  world  safe  for 
democracy. 

This  is  true :  (1)  because  some  of  our  citizens  either 
cannot,  or  do  not,  read  newspapers,  magazines,  etc. ; 
(2)  because  some  who  do  read  these  fail  to  grasp  from 
printed  matter  the  significance  and  the  gravity  of  the 
messages  or  appeals  contained  therein,  while  a  teacher 
may  make  all  such  matters  reasonably  plain  and  im- 
pressive by  verbal  explanations  to  assembled  groups  of 
citizens ;  (3)  because  a  number  of  our  citizens  are  not  ac- 
customed to  attend  public  gatherings  where  information 
of  this  sort  may  be  given  out,  whereas  their  children  may 
carry  home  from  the  school  both  their  own  interpretation 
of  the  situation,  and  bulletins,  circulars,  etc.,  which 
otherwise  would  not  reach  the  people;  and  (4)  because 
the  cooperative  action  of  people  assembled  is  much  more 
effective  than  individual  action. 

Given  a  wide-awake  teacher  in  every  community,  who 
is  at  the  same  time  even  a  fairly  competent  leader,  and 
let  such  teacher  have  effective  contact  with  state  and 
national  leaders,  the  Federal  Government  is  in  position 
to  call  forth  the  full  strength  and  resources  of  the  people. 
The  school,  in  other  words,  is  the  most  effective  means 
a  democracy  has  of  mobilizing  the  thought,  the  energy, 
and  the  full  strength  of  the  nation. 


8  The  Community  Center 

2.   AN   ANCIENT   PRINCIPLE   OF   DEMOCRACY   AND 
FREEDOM 

The  use  of  the  public  school  as  a  means  for  the  self- 
expression  of  a  people  is  a  modern  practice.  But  the 
principle  involved  in  such  practice  is  as  old  as  democracy 
itself.  Professor  Charles  Zueblin  ^  says :  "  The  organiza- 
tion of  people  for  self-expression  dates  back  to  primitive 
times.  Public  discussions  were  familiar  in  the  little 
democracies  of  Greece  and  subsequently  in  Rome.  The 
German  Mark  and  Swiss  Commune  furnished  the  best 
example  of  freedom  of  public  discussion  and  public 
actions.  The  oldest  democratic  organization  now  exist- 
ing, and  historically  the  most  important,  is  the  Landes 
Gemeinde  of  Switzerland.  From  the  thirteenth  century 
the  male  citizens  of  several  Swiss  cantons  have  assembled 
from  their  mountain  homes  for  the  conduct  of  public 
affairs  by  the  living  voice  in  the  open  air."  Professor 
Zueblin  says  further :  "  The  larger  use  of  the  school- 
house  and  the  organization  of  social  centers  are  not 
novelties.  They  are  the  twentieth-century  revival  and 
expression  of  that  democratic  spirit  which  has  been  vital 
at  intervals  for  more  than  two  thousand  years/' 

Dr.  Samuel  M.  Crothers  ^  voices  the  same  sentiment 
when  he  says :  "  The  present  movement  for  using  the 
schoolhouse  of  a  city  for  the  promotion  of  neighborhood 
life  is  one  that  has  a  long  history  —  as  long  as  democracy. 
It  is  the  attempt  to  adapt  ancient  usages  to  modem 
conditions.  The  sense  of  social  solidarity  which  gives 
rich  and  deep  meaning  to  the  word  '  neighbor  *  is  in 
danger  of  being  lost.    The  neighbor  is  the  '  nigh  dweller/ 

^  Historical  Antecedents  of  the  Modern  Social  Center 

'  The  American  Historic  Antecedents  of  the  Modem  Social  Center 


The  Community  Center  and  the  World  War    9 

but  what  signifies  this  if  the  door  of  his  dwelling  be  shut? 
The  house  with  its  locks  and  bars  becomes  the  symbol 
of  exclusive  individualism.  .  .  .  Those  who  are  opening 
our  schoolhouses  for  the  largest  public  services  are  simply 
carrying  on  the  traditions  of  freedom.'' 


3.   THE   MODERN   COMMUNITY  CENTER 

The  ancient  custom  which  the  people  of  the  Swiss 
cantons  had  of  coming  together  in  the  open  air  and 
deciding,  by  the  "  living  voice/^  the  nature  of  their  com- 
munity affairs  was  followed  by  our  early  New  England 
communities,  particularly  in  school  affairs.  These  New 
Englanders  came  together  for  a  definite  purpose  —  to 
employ  a  teacher,  to  fix  his  salary,  to  determine  the  length 
of  the  school  term,  and  to  fix  the  amount  of  school  revenues 
to  be  raised. 

Are  the  Good  Old  Days  Gone  Not  to  Return  ?  For  a 
period  of  years  covering  most  of  the  nineteenth  century 
rural  people  were  accustomed  to  assemble  frequently, 
usually  at  their  schoolhouses,  for  the  purpose  of  entertain- 
ment and  social  enjoyment.  Those  were  the  days  of  the 
"  spelling  bee,"  the  "  school  literaries,"  and  "  debating 
societies."  During  the  same  period  the  people  frequently 
assembled  at  one  another's  homes  for  "  corn-huskings," 
"  barn-raisings,"  "  log-rollings,"  "  threshings,"  "  apple- 
cuttings,"  "  bean  stringings,"  etc.  For  the  most  part 
these  occasions  were  for  mutual  help,  doing  collectively 
what  the  farmers  or  their  wives  and  daughters  were  unable 
to  do  unaided ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  many  of  these 
occasions,  such  as  "  apple-cuttings  "  and  the  like,  were 
merely  excuses  for  both  young  and  old  to  get  together 
for  a  good  "  sociable  "  time.    Gradually  these  customs 


10  The  Community  Center 

became  almost  wholly  abandoned,  the  people  becoming 
less  and  less  neighborly.  Community  social  life  gave 
way  to  family  isolation  and  community  stagnation.  And 
it  is  a  question  whether  this  loss  of  rural  social  customs  is 
not  to  some  extent  responsible  for  the  exodus  of  rural 
populations  to  the  cities  which  has  been  taking  place  for 
the  past  quarter  of  a  century.  May  we  not  hope  for  a 
revival  of  those  old-time  social  customs? 

The  Reviving  Spirit  of  the  Community  Center.  We 
are  reminded,  therefore,  that  the  example  of  the  com- 
munity center  is  as  old  as  the  idea  of  democracy  and 
freedom  itself ;  that  the  community  center  idea  has  been 
a  prominent  factor  in  the  development  of  our  democratic 
institutions  in  America;  and  that,  when  we  came  to  a 
crisis  in  our  national  existence  and  in  the  very  existence 
of  democracy  itself,  the  schools  suddenly  mobilized  them- 
selves as  among  the  most  powerful  agencies  the  National 
Government  had  for  prosecuting  its  part  in  the  World 
War. 

Revival  Had  Already  Begtin.  ^ut  before  the  national 
significance  of  the  community  center  became  evident  to 
our  state  and  national  leaders,  there  had  been  for  several 
years  a  notable  revival  of  the  community  center  as  an 
agency  of  community  betterment.  At  first  this  move- 
ment was  confined  mainly  to  the  cities,  taking  various 
forms  as  community  centers,  recreation  centers,  parent- 
teacher  associations,  civic  leagues,  etc.  New  York  City 
now  has  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  community 
centers. 

Within  the  past  decade,  however,  rural  districts  also 
have  witnessed  a  marked  revival  in  community  center 
activities.  State  departments  of  education  and  state  col- 
leges of  agriculture  had  issued  bulletins  urging  teachers 


The  Community  Center  and  the  World  War    11 

to  organize  their  communities  into  social  and  civic  centers. 
A  great  many  leaders  of  rural  life  betterment  had  stressed 
the  importance  and  the  social  and  moral  significance  of 
such  activities.  A  large  number  of  rural  communities, 
under  the  leadership  of  the  minister,  the  teacher,  or 
some  public-spirited  citizen,  had  achieved  marked  success 
along  many  lines  of  rural  life  betterment.  These  successes 
demonstrated  to  many  the  great  possibilities  of  the  school 
as  a  means  of  improving  country  life  and  its  institutions, 
and  also  the  fact  that  the  school  as  a  community  center 
is  one  of  the  best  means  we  have  of  reaching  all  the  people 
and  of  helping  them  to  work  out  their  mutual  welfare. 


4.   OUTLOOK  FOR  THE  COMMUNITY  CENTER 

The  World  War  is  at  an  end,  with  the  triumph  of 
democracy  and  civilization.  Shall  we  not  profit  by  our 
experiences  with  the  school  as  a  center  for  the  promotion 
of  national  activities  during  the  period  of  the  war?  What 
lessons  has  our  experience  taught  us?  If  our  schools 
have  helped  to  win  the  war,  may  they  not  likewise  help 
us  to  be  a  better  and  more  efficient  people  in  time  of 
peace?  If  our  schools  have  helped  to  raise  funds  for 
the  Red  Cross,  to  bind  up  the  wounds  of  our  stricken 
soldiers  in  time  of  war,  may  they  not  help  the  nation  in 
health  campaigns  designed  to  keep  our  people  well  and 
strong  in  time  of  peace  ?  —  to  keep  them  efficient  pro- 
ducers and  happy  citizens?  If  the  school  helped  the 
Government  to  raise  billions  by  the  sale  of  liberty  bonds 
and  war  savings  stamps,  may  we  not  depend  upon  it 
to  raise  thousands  when  we  come  to  vote  peace  bonds  for 
the  erection  of  school  buildings,  for  building  public  high- 
ways,  or  for  any  other  worthy  community  purpose? 


12  The  Community  Center 

During  the  period  of  national  danger  we  have  all  been 
on  tiptoes,  so  to  speak.  Shall  we  relax,  now  that  peace 
has  come,  and  sink  back  into  the  easy-going  habits  of 
pre-war  times?  If  we  do  so,  we  shall  not  have  profited 
much  by  our  bitter  experiences  in  this  world  struggle. 
We  shall  hardly  be  deserving  of  the  victory  v/on. 

Unlimited  Possibilities.  —  The  response  of  the  schools 
to  the  nation's  needs  in  war  and  the  extraordinary  results 
achieved  demonstrated  the  fact  that  with  capable  leader- 
ship there  are  tremendous  possibilities  in  the  community 
center  for  almost  any  worthy  project  of  community  im- 
provement, whether  by  community  we  mean  the  nation, 
the  state,  or  the  municipality.  For  when  a  meritorious 
proposition  is  put  before  a  group  of  Americans  in  such  a 
way  that  they  may  discuss  and  understand  it,  nine  out 
of  ten  will  favor  it.  The  great  trouble  heretofore  has 
been,  as  already  stated,  that,  with  certain  notable  excep- 
tions, we  have  had  no  way  of  reaching  all  the  people  with 
our  proposals  for  community  improvement,  and,  merely 
because  they  have  not  understood  what  was  to  be  gained, 
many  citizens  have  too  often  stood  squarely  against  com- 
munity progress. 

Virginia's  Example.  The  state  of  Virginia  will  serve 
as  an  example  of  what  organized  communities  may  ac- 
complish. For  several  years,  through  the  agency  of  the 
Cooperative  Education  Association,  a  considerable  group 
of  educational  leaders  of  Virginia  have  been  organizing 
school  improvement  leagues.  In  the  fall  of  1917,  when 
the  National  Food  Administration  appealed  to  the  schools 
of  the  nation  to  aid  in  the  Food  Pledge  Card  Campaign, 
Virginia  had  1062  active  leagues  with  a  total  membership 
of  34,885.  The  name  and  post-office  address  of  the  leader 
of  each  league  was  on  file  with  the  executive  secretary  of 


The  Community  Center  and  the  World  War    13 

the  association.  Upon  receiving  this  call  to  service,  the 
executive  secretary  had  merely  to  address  a  circular  letter, 
together  with  such  printed  matter,  circular  letters,  etc., 
as  were  available,  to  the  several  local  leaders,  calling  upon 
all  to  assemble  the  members  of  their  respective  leagues 
at  the  schoolhouses  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  their 
part  in  this  campaign.  Without  a  single  exception, 
these  leagues  promptly  came  together  at  their  school- 
houses  and  performed  their  part  in  the  Food  Pledge  Card 
Campaign. 

Within  ten  days  the  pledge  cards  were  in  the  hands  of 
the  executive  secretary  of  the  association,  who  promptly 
forwarded  them  to  the  Food  Administration  in  Washing- 
ton. Such  remarkable  efficiency  led  the  Food  Adminis- 
trator to  call  the  executive  secretary  to  Washington  to 
explain  how  the  work  was  so  well  and  so  speedily  accom- 
plished. Following  this  conference,  the  Food  Adminis- 
tration undertook  to  enlist  the  cooperation  of  all  such 
community  organizations  throughout  the  country.  These 
school  improvement  leagues  in  Virginia  proved  to  be 
equally  efficient  in  every  other  government  enterprise 
which  appealed  to  the  people  for  assistance  in  carrying 
out  our  war  programs. 

The  activities  of  the  Virginia  school  improvement 
leagues  just  enumerated  were,  to  be  sure,  directed  towards 
meeting  a  national  emergency.  But,  meanwhile,  their 
work  of  local  community  improvements  went  forward 
almost  as  in  times  of  peace.  The  Annual  Report  of  the 
Commission  enumerates  local  activities  in  the  year  1917 
as  follows : 

A  special  Good  Roads  Meeting  was  held  by  184  leagues,  and  in 
almost  every  instance  something  was  done  to  improve  the  neighbor- 
hood road ;  214  held  a  Better  Farm  and  Garden  Meeting  before  the 


14  The  Community  Center 

first  of  May,  and  our  supplemental  report  indicates  that  practically 
every  reporting  league  has  held  one  or  more  farm  improvement  meet- 
ings since  then.  May  or  Community  Day  was  observed  by  191, 
and  113  found  time  for  Better  Church  Day,  when  the  needs  of  the 
churches  of  the  community  were  studied  and  many  improvements 
made.  This  record  indicates  that  a  total  of  1363  special  meetings 
were  held  during  the  year,  in  addition  to  the  special  war  service 
work. 

With  an  efficient  organization  such  as  the  Virginia 
School  Improvement  League,  what  could  not  a  state 
accomplish  through  legislation,  publicity,  health  cam- 
paigns, etc.?  What  could  not  a  county  accomplish  in 
the  way  of  building  good  roads  and  better  schools,  purify- 
ing politics,  etc.  ?  And  what  could  not  the  local  neighbor- 
hood accomplish  in  social,  moral,  educational,  and  economic 
improvement? 

Every  School  a  Community  Center.  But  since  we 
entered  into  the  World  War,  our  experiences  in  carrying 
forward  the  Government's  programs  have  taught  us 
that  a  formal  organization  of  the  community  is  not  really 
necessary;  that  the  school  itself  is,  or  can  be  made,  all 
the  organization  that  we  need  to  secure  community 
cooperation  for  almost  any  worthy  project.  It  is  a  great 
lesson  that  we  have  leaped,  and  let  us  not  forget  it,  now 
that  peace  has  come.  It  means  that  within  reasonable 
reach  of  every  home  we  have  a  public  hall,  the  school- 
house,  where  the  people  may  come  together  for  enter- 
tainments, discussions,  social  enjoyment,  or  for  any  pur- 
pose, in  fact,  which  concerns  the  people.  It  means  that 
without  additional  expense  we  have  a  paid  leader,  the 
teacher,  whose  duty  it  becomes  to  coordinate  all  the  forces 
of  the  community  in  worthy  efforts  for  local  improve- 
ments. So  we  have  all  the  facilities  at  hand  for  carrying 
out  any  necessary  program  for  community  improvements. 


The  Community  Center  and  the  World  War    15 

We  may  affirm,  therefore,  that  to-day  we  have  either 
active  or  latent  as  many  community  centers  as  we  have 
schools. 

It  is  true  that  not  all  the  states  have  statutes  allowing 
the  public  school  building  to  be  used  for  community  meet- 
ings. But  it  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  with  the  efforts 
now  being  brought  to  bear  upon  state  legislatures  to 
grant  the  people  the  use  of  their  own  property,  laws 
will  soon  be  enacted  to  this  end.  It  ought  not  to  be 
necessary,  indeed,  to  have  laws  granting  the  people  what 
is  so  clearly  their  inherent  right. 

Leadership  Is  of  First  Importance.  In  a  great  many 
communities  a  lot  of  preliminary  work  will  be  necessary 
before  the  community  center  will  begin  to  bear  its  best 
fruits.  The  whole  problem  hinges  upon  the  quality  of 
leadership  which  our  teachers  possess.  Without  capable 
leadership  very  little  can  be  done.  But  take  the  country 
over,  and  it  will  be  found  that  most  of  the  teachers  of 
America  have  the  willingness  and  the  capacity  to  under- 
take such  work  if  only  they  can  be  shown  how.  It  is  the 
chief  purpose  of  this  book  to  detail  some  experiences  of 
successful  leaders,  and  to  offer  some  suggestions  as  to  the 
nature  and  procedure  of  community  center  work. 

EXERCISES 

1.  State  what  your  school  as  a  national  community  center  did 
in  war  activities. 

2.  Select  a  community  that  you  have  known  and  make  a  list  of 
all  the  activities  in  which  the  school  might  engage  for  the  general 
improvement  of  that  community  in  peace  times. 

3.  For  the  same  community  make  out  a  program  for  community 
progress  by  arranging  in  the  order  of  their  importance  the  things 
that  should  be  done,  the  program  to  cover  a  period  of  from  three  to 
five  years. 


16  The  Community  Center 

4.  Indicate  the  activity  that  should  be  undertaken  first  in  carry- 
ing out  this  program  and  outline  in  detail  the  method  of  procedure 
that  you  would  follow. 

5.  What  effects  would  you  expect  the  carrying  on  of  that  activity 
to  have  on  your  working  out  of  the  general  program  under  exercise  3  ? 

6.  Make  a  brief  survey  of  the  agencies  or  organizations  in  your 
community,  the  general  purposes  of  which  are  in  harmony  with  the 
general  purposes  of  the  community  center,  and,  with  the  leaders  of 
these  organizations,  devise  plans  for  cooperation  in  a  general  program 
of  community  activities. 

7.  From  conversations  with  the  older  citizens  or  in  other  ways, 
find  out  and  list  the  principal  community  activities  engaged  in  by  the 
people  within  the  past  fifty  years.  (Preserve  this  list  for  reference 
when  you  come  to  make  up  the  first  few  programs  of  the  community 
center  meetings.) 

8.  Interpret  the  experiences  of  the  National  Government  in  its 
several  war  drives  in  terms  of  definite  suggestions  for  community 
center  work  in  your  community. 


CHAPTER  II 

LEADERSHIP  AND  THE   COMMUNITY   CENTER 

1.  THE  NECESSITY  FOR  LEADERSHIP 

In  any  kind  of  activity  where  groups  of  individuals 
work  or  act  or  play  together,  personal  leadership  is  found 
to  be  the  most  important  factor  in  the  achievements 
attained.  Indeed,  without  such  leadership  the  phrase 
"  group  activities "  is  meaningless.  In  the  average 
rural  community  where  families  are  more  or  less  isolated, 
and  where  in  the  past  there  have  been  comparatively 
few  occasions  calling  for  leadership,  the  present  need  of 
capable  leaders  is  very  much  greater  than  in  the  cities 
and  other  thickly  populated  communities  where  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  people  have  long  been  accustomed 
to  work  together  for  mutual  welfare.  Yet,  in  those  rural 
communities  where  the  people  are  apparently  oblivious 
to  the  present  need  of  concerted  action  in  community 
improvements,  there  are  usually  a  few  citizens  who  stand 
out  as  recognized  leaders  of  their  groups.  Such  leader- 
ship may  be  wholly  unconscious  even  on  the  part  of  the 
leaders  themselves. 

Past  experiences,  as  recorded  in  history  and  in  literature 
dealing  with  social  movements,  as  well  as  common  observa- 
tion, justify  the  conclusion  that  most  people  look  to  leaders 
for  direction  of  their  thought  and  action,  while  only  a  few 
of  any  group  offer  themselves  as  leaders  or  wish  to  assume 
the  responsibilities  which  leadership  exacts.  And  if  the 
right  kind  of  leaders  are  not  found,  then  the  wrong  kind 

17 


18  The  Community  Center 

may  assert  themselves,  with  the  result  that  the  people 
are  led  in  the  wrong  direction.  If  that  be  the  ease,  we 
might  rightly  infer  that  the  present  wave  of  Bolshevism 
that  has  gained  many  adherents  may  possibly  be  due  to 
a  preponderance  of  wrong  leaders,  or,  what  is  more  likely, 
to  the  inactivity  of  the  right  kind  of  leaders. 

2.   PRESENT  STATUS  OF  RURAL  LEADERSHIP 

Meaning  of  Leadership.  To  begin  with,  we  should 
inquire  into  the  meaning  of  leadership.  In  the  first 
place,  the  leader  must  know  the  people  whom  he  would 
lead.  The  successful  politician  understands  this  fact 
very  clearly.  He  is  always  anxious  to  impress  it  upon 
the  people  that  he  is  one  of  their  own  number  and  that  he 
understands  their  every  need.  In  that  practice  he  is 
merely  recognizing  one  of  the  most  fundamental  facts 
of  successful  leadership.  It  is  a  fact  which"  the  rural 
leader  also  will  do  well  to  recognize.  He  will  need  to  be 
or  to  become  a  real  member  of  the  group.  The  more 
nearly  he  does  understand  the  people  and  does  see  their 
points  of  view  and  sense  their  feelings  and  aspirations, 
the  greater  success  he  is  likely  to  achieve.  At  the  same 
time  he  must  be  able  by  example  and  suggestion  to  lead 
the  people  to  better  ways,  to  greater  aspirations,  and, 
finally  and  thereby,  to  greater  enjoyment  and  apprecia- 
tion in  their  everyday  lives.  He  cannot  tell  the  people 
what  to  do,  yet  he  will  be  able  to  lead  them  into  such 
personal  relations  with  one  another  and  into  such  con- 
tact with  their  physical,  social,  and  moral  surroundings 
that  they  will,  in  consequence  of  their  own  efforts,  ap- 
proach more  nearly  than  at  present  the  best  that  their 
surroundings  afford. 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     19 

Secondly,  the  leader  cannot  direct  a  group  of  persons 
unless  they  are  engaged  in  doing  something.  What  they 
do  matters  not  so  much  if  only  it  be  of  common  interest 
to  the  whole  group.  That  fact  will  be  considered  at  greater 
length  in  the  next  chapter.  For  the  present,  let  us  consider 
briefly  some  of  the  things  that  have  been  and  are  being 
done  by  rural  leaders,  and  then  turn  to  a  consideration 
of  the  chief  agencies  now  available  for  rural  leadership. 

Leaders  of  National  Importance.  We  have  probably 
not  yet  had  in  this  country  a  single  great  leader  in  rural 
life  activities,  such  as  Sir  Horace  Plunkett  in  Ireland 
or  Bishop  Grundwig  in  Denmark.  Relatively  large 
groups  of  men  and  women  of  national  prominence  have 
contributed  much  towards  the  solution  of  the  various 
phases  of  the  rural  life  problem  by  means  of  investiga- 
tion, publication,  and  public  addresses,  but  chiefly  through 
the  institutions  or  agencies  with  which  they  are  associated. 
Owing  to  the  economic  feature  of  its  work  and  to  the 
fact  that  it  has  the  official  and  financial  backing  of  the 
whole  country,  the  United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture is  doubtless  the  most  powerful  single  force  working 
to-day  for  the  solution  of  the  rural  life  problem.  The 
United  States  Bureau  of  Education,  under  the  direction  of  its 
present  commissioner,  is  rendering  distinguished  service, 
particularly  by  disseminating  knowledge  of  the  facts 
about  the  rural  situation.  Various  private  agencies  of 
national  significance  are  contributing  towards  the  same 
purpose  by  investigations,  publications,  and,  not  infre- 
quently, by  financial  assistance  to  worthy  projects. 

State  Leadership.  The  state  college  of  agriculture 
has  become  a  powerful  agency  for  rural  leadership  in 
nearly  every  state  in  the  Union.  Through  its  excep- 
tional opportunities  for  training  local  leaders,  both  by 


20  The  Community  Center 

its  instruction  in  the  institution  and  in  developing  leaders 
in  the  local  communities,  the  state  college  of  agriculture 
is  achieving  notable  results  in  improving  almost  every 
phase  of  rural  life  conditions.  The  state  department 
of  education  in  some  states  has  assumed  active  leader- 
ship in  certain  phases  of  the  rural  life  movement  in  addition 
to  its  special  work  of  improving  the  schools,  and  in  almost 
every  case  it  cooperates  with  the  other  state  agencies  in 
the  general  program  of  rural  life  improvement.  The 
state  board  of  health  and  the  state  road  commission 
are  other  agencies  of  the  state  working  directly  towards 
the  improvement  of  country  life. 

Local  Leadership.  Finally,  returning  to  the  work  of 
the  local  communities,  where  most  of  the  actual  leading 
must  be  done,  we  may  note  as  of  first  importance  the 
county  superintendent  of  schools,  and,  next  to  him,  the 
county  agricultural  agent.  These  two  county  leaders 
help  one  another  in  carrying  out  the  county  program  of 
rural  life  improvements.  In  the  district  (township),  also, 
we  now  find  in  many  instances  a  school  supervisor  or  a 
district  superintendent  and  in  some  cases  an  agricultural 
agent  or  leader.  In  the  local  communities  we  have  the 
teacher,  the  minister,  and  other  leaders  cooperating  with 
these  appointed  leaders.  We  shall  consider  the  oppor- 
tunities and  the  activities  of  all  of  these  several  kinds  of 
leadership  in  the  following  paragraphs  of  this  chapter. 

3.   AGENCIES   FOR   RURAL   LEADERSHIP 

1.  The  Rural  Home.  First  in  importance  among  the 
agencies  for  rural  leadership  is  the  home.  Theodore 
Roosevelt  once  said :  "In  the  development  of  character, 
the  home  should  be  more  important  than  the  school  or 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     21 

than  society  at  large."  It  is  in  the  country,  we  believe, 
that  we  find  the  simplest  home  life.  In  the  country  home 
all  the  members  are  still  accustomed  to  assemble  at  meal 
hours  around  the  family  board  and  in  the  evening  around 
the  fireside.  Their  work  is  for  the  benefit  of  all;  there 
are  fewer  distractions,  and  it  is  generally  believed  fewer 
temptations  to  evil,  than  are  to  be  found  surrounding 
the  urban  home.  Let  the  members  of  a  convenient  group 
of  these  homes  come  together  with  a  common  interest, 
whether  for  amusement,  for  athletic  contests,  or  for 
cooperative  helpfulness,  with  a  leader  among  them,  and 
we  have  all  the  conditions  which  are  necessary  for  a  live 
community  center.  On  the  other  hand,  let  the  home 
disintegrate,  and  then  not  only  would  all  possibility  of 
community  cooperation  disappear,  but  society  itself 
would  fall  to  pieces. 

Is  the  Rural  Home  Improving  or  Degenerating? 
Whether  the  rural  home  is  maintaining  its  former  prestige 
is  just  now  a  debatable  question.  There  is  a  general 
impression  that  the  country  is  the  best  place  in  the  world 
to  live  and  to  bring  up  a  family  of  clean,  honest,  healthy 
children.  Under  the  most  favorable  conditions,  that 
impression  is  doubtless  correct.  Just  to  what  extent 
rural  life  conditions  may  be  improving  or  deteriorating 
no  one  knows.  If  greater  intelligence  results  in  better 
living,  and  we  believe  it  does,  then  it  must  be  admitted 
that  country  life  is  improving;  for  we  may  reasonably 
assume  that  with  the  improvement  of  the  teaching  and 
of  the  physical  conditions  of  the  rural  schools,  both  of 
which  are  evident,  the  general  level  of  rural  life  is  being 
elevated.  The  physical  conditions  in  and  about  the 
average  country  home  have  undoubtedly  been  greatly 
improved  within  the  past  decade.    And,  although  the 


22  The  Community  Center 

Federal  Government  has  reported  that  the  physical  health 
of  country  youth  strikes  a  somewhat  lower  level  than 
that  of  city  children,  the  comparison  is  not  so  significant 
as  it  might  appear  upon  the  surface.  For  example,  the 
city  child  has  better  opportunities  to  consult  a  physician 
or  a  dentist  or  an  oculist  than  the  country  child  has,  and 
that  alone  may  account  for  some  of  the  reported  differ- 
ences in  physical  welfare. 

Whether  the  moral  tone  of  country  folk  is  hi 
lower  than  that  of  city  folk  or  of  the  country  p.  ^ 

the  last  generation,  is  also  a  question  which  cani^ot  be- 
answered  and  which  might  not  be  of  great  consequence 
in  any  event.  The  most  important  thing  for  the  rural 
life  leader  to  know  is  what  he  can  do  to  help  the  people 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact  to  improve  the  present 
situation. 

If  a  sufficiently  large  number  of  rural  life  leaders 
were  so  distributed  throughout  the  country  that  every 
family  in  the  land  could  come  under  the  influence  of 
one  such  leader,  the  rural  life  problem  would  be  in  a 
fair  way  of  solving  itself.  Potentially,  we  have  the  re- 
quired number  of  such  leaders  and  they  are  so  distributed. 
Reference  is  made,  of  course,  to  the  rural  teachers  of  this, 
country.  The  rural  teachers  can,  in  the  schoolroom  and 
in  the  community  center,  put  new  life  into  their  respective 
communities;  they  can  stimulate  the  members  of  these 
communities  to  new  aspirations;  they. can  do  much  to^ 
restore  self-confidence  in  the  parents  wherever,  .^^elf^^ 
confidence  may  be  lacking;  and  they  can  help  to  keep; 
the  youth  satisfied  with  country  life.  To  maintain  the 
integrity,  the  unity,  the  aliveness,  and  the  permanency 
of  the  country  home  may  be  said  to  constitute  the  foiinda- 
tion  work  of  the  community  center. 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     23 

2.  The  Rural  Church.  Next  to  the  home  the  church 
is  of  greatest  importance  as  an  agency  for  rural  leadership. 
The  rural  church  has  doubtless  lost  many  opportunities 
for  such  leadership.  Such  rural  surveys  as  have  been 
made  are  almost  unanimous  in  the  conclusion  that  the 
rural  church  is  to-day  losing  ground.  Dr.  Warren  H. 
Wii«or  of  the  Department  of  Church  and  Country  Life 
^Presbyterian  Board  of  Home  Missions  has  made  a 
^^of  rural  life  surveys,  the  published  reports  of 
vJli*i!J%int  a  rather  dark  picture.  A  survey  of  forty- 
four  niinois  communities,  averaging  fifty-four  square 
miles  each,  showed  that  "  in  the  whole  territory  surveyed 
forty-seven  churches  have  died,  of  which  twenty-nine 
were  country  churches.^'  While  emphasizing  the  decline 
of  country  churches,  we  find,  however,  no  special  com- 
ment in  this  report  on  the  fact  that  the  other  eighteen 
churches,  or  38.3  per  cent,  were,  probably,  city  churches. 
Dr.  Wilson's  report  of  a  similar  survey  in  Missouri 
states  the  following :  "  The  appearance  of  an  abandoned 
church  is  usually  that  of  the  abomination  of  desolation  — 
windows  broken,  organ  broken,  pulpit  broken,  seats  in 
confusion,  a  bird's  nest  or  two  up  near  the  roof,  and  in 
some  corner  a  tramp's  bed  made  out  of  the  folded  carpet. 
It  is  safe  to  say  that  many  other  churches  are  on  the  road 
to  abandonment,  for  less  than  half  of  these  country 
churches  of  these  three  counties  are  increasing  in  member- 
ship." The  foregoing  description  is  doubtless  true  to 
-ae  lacts  revealed  in  the  survey  in  question.  It  is  only 
fair  to  state,  however,  that  according  to  the  last  United 
States  Census  the  population  in  many  rural  communi- 
ties is  decreasing  because  of  the  constant  migration  of 
country  folk  to  the  towns  and  cities.  That  being  the 
case,  the  failure  of  the  rural  churches  to  increase  their 


24  The  Community  Center 

memberships  would  seem  to  be  a  natural  consequence  of 
such  loss  of  persons  available  for  church  membership. 

Loss  of  Leaders  and  of  Wealth.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  in  the  past  two  or  three  decades  the  rural 
population  of  this  country  has  been  undergoing  a  great 
transformation.  Many  of  the  strongest  leaders  of  the 
country  have  gone  to  the  cities  and  they  have  taken  with 
them  much  of  the  wealth  of  the  country.  As  a  general 
proposition,  it  may  be  stated  that  it  is  the  more  ambitious 
and  capable  youths  and  the  more  prosperous  and  pro- 
gressive adults  who  are  most  likely  to  go  to  the  city. 
The  wide-awake  young  man,  even  without  capital,  has  a 
fair  chance  of  establishing  himself  there.  But  when  a 
family  goes  to  the  city  it  must  have  sufficient  capital  with 
which  to  establish  a  business  and  a  home,  or  else  be  sat- 
isfied with  eking  out  a  scant  existence  on  the  income  of 
its  members.  Therefore,  the  general  tendency  is  towards 
a  constant  increasing  of  the  population  and  wealth  of 
the  cities  at  the  expense  of  the  rural  communities.  To 
such  economic  conditions,  far  more  than  to  any  general 
slackening  of  the  moral  and  religious  consciousness,  is 
due,  we  venture  to  state,  the  decadence  of  the  rural  church. 
For  when  a  community  has  lost  its  more  capable  youths 
and  its  more  prosperous  citizens,  it  is  no  longer  the  same 
community.  Something  resembling  a  chemical  change 
has  taken  place  in  its  composition.  Certain  readjust- 
ments must  inevitably  be  made  in  order  that  it  may  pursue 
its  life  under  changed  and  changing  conditions.  For  that 
reason  it  is  necessary  for  rural  leaders  to  study  carefully 
the  new  organism  in  order  to  determine  what  readjust- 
ments shall  be  made  in  its  economic  outlook  and  in  its 
moral,  religious,  and  social  life,  to  make  it  once  more  a 
normal  unit  of  society. 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     25 

One  of  the  strongest  incentives  prompting  rural  folk  to 
migrate  to  the  cities  is  discontent  with  the  country.  That 
is  not  true  of  the  well-to-do  families  who  are  able  by 
employing  labor  to  avoid  the  drudgery  of  farm  life  and 
who  can  go  to  the  city  by  automobile  in  an  hour  or  less  for 
shopping,  entertainment,  and  worship.  But  it  is  very  true 
of  families  who  have  to  do  their  own  work  and  who  have 
very  little  opportunity  to  get  away  from  their  daily  chores 
even  for  an  occasional  mingling  with  friends  or  for  enter- 
tainment of  any  kind.  That  is  particularly  true  in  regard 
to  the  mother  and  the  children  after  the  latter  reach  the 
age  of  twelve  to  fifteen.  Such  discontent  springs  partly 
from  the  connections  which  have  been  established  between 
former  members  of  the  community  who  have  already 
gone  to  the  city,  and  their  friends  and  relatives  in  the 
country.  Those  who  remain  on  the  farm  occasionally 
visit  their  old-time  friends  in  the  city;  they  receive 
letters  from  them  which  tell  of  the  advantages  of  city 
life;  they  read  the  city  newspapers,  and  in  such  ways 
they  allow  their  imaginations  to  draw  very  sharp  con- 
trasts between  the  city  and  the  country,  usually  to  the 
disadvantage  of  the  latter.  As  a  consequence,  they  are 
likely  to  lose  interest  in  the  school,  in  the  church,  and  in 
farm  life  in  general.  They  come  to  feel  that  they  are 
missing  their  opportunities,  that  they  are  being  left 
behind  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure  and  happiness.  Nat- 
urally they,  too,  long  to  get  away  from  the  farm  to  the 
city,  where  they  fancy  they  will  be  better  situated. 

On  the  surface  it  might  appear  that  the  rural  ministry 
is  largely  responsible  for  the  decadence  of  the  rural  church. 
But  the  present  condition  of  the  rural  church,  and  of 
country  life  in  general,  is  fundamentally  due  to  such 
situations  as  have  just  been   described.     If  we  could 


26  The  Community  Center 

extract  from  American  life  of  past  and  present  times  the 
net  results  of  the  work  of  its  rural  ministry,  we  should 
then  be  better  able  to  estimate  the  magnificent  achieve- 
ments of  the  country  minister.  For  through  those  men 
and  women  who  have  left  the  country  to  make  their 
homes  in  the  city  the  rural  minister  has  contributed  as 
much  to  the  welfare  of  the  city,  perhaps,  as  to  the  welfare 
of  those  who  have  remained  with  him  in  the  country. 
And  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  rural  minister 
of  to-day  is  as  zealous  for  the  welfare  of  his  people  as  he 
has  ever  been  in  the  past.  , 

The  Church  as  a  Community  Center.  /As  with  the 
school,  so  with  the  church,  much  depends  upon  the  quality 
of  the  leadership  that  is  offered.  A  great  many  rural 
ministers  have  assumed  leadership  in  their  communities, 
and  their  achievements  are  worthy  examples  of  what 
may  be  done  by  the  church  as  a  community  center.  The 
greatest  obstacle  in  the  way  of  such  leadership  is,  of 
course,  sectarianism,  especially  in  communities  where 
several  different  church  denominations  are  represented. 
There  have  been  many  happy  instances,  however,  where 
all  the  ministers  and  their  congregations  were  able  to 
put  aside  their  denominational  feelings  temporarily  and 
to  unite  in  community  social  and  recreational  activities^ 
We  believe  that  as  time  goes  on  there  will  tend  to  be  more 
and  more  of  such  unity  for  the  general  good  and  that 
thereby  the  people  of  such  communities  will  be  greatly 
benefited.  Farmers'  clubs,  women's  clubs,  boys'  and 
girls'  organizations  of  various  kinds,  literary  societies, 
and  many  other  agencies  for  community  improvement 
may  be  centered  in  the  church  as  successfully,  perhaps, 
as  in  the  school.  The  war- work  campaigns  have  done 
much  to  poiut  out  to  the  ministers  and  to  the  people 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     27 

generally  the  great  opportunities  that  lie  in  the  united 
effort  of  all  the  people,  and  we  may  be  assured  that  many 
rural  ministers  will  be  quick  to  see  the  significance  of 
such  lessons  and  to  turn  them  to  practical  purposes  in 
time  of  peace. 

3.  School  Extension  Work.  The  extension  service  of 
a  large  number  of  colleges,  universities,  and  normal  schools 
throughout  the  United  States,  particularly  that  of  the 
state  colleges  of  agriculture,  is  perhaps  the  most  effective 
and  the  most  far-reaching  work  that  is  being  done  at  the 
present  time  towards  the  reorganization  and  rejuvenation 
of  rural  life  forces.  In  this  work,  fortunately,  we  have  the 
aid  of  the  Federal  Government.  We  now  have  the  state 
farm  manager  in  charge  of  the  several  county  agricultural 
agents,  the  state  organizers  of  boys'  and  girls'  agricultural 
clubs,  the  state  agent  in  charge  of  each  of  the  general 
divisions  of  the  farming  business.  In  addition  to  their 
particular  work  in  improving  agriculture,  these  men 
and  women  seek  to  help  in  every  possible  way  to  better 
country  life  conditions.  Furthermore,  the  colleges  of 
agriculture  are  doing  a  notable  service  by  training  a  large 
number  of  local,  county,  and  state  leaders  for  carrying 
on  community  activities  among  rural  populations. 

Economic  Considerations.  But  perhaps  the  chief 
significance  of  their  work  in  its  final  results  lies  in  the 
fact  that  these  institutions  are  dealing  primarily  with 
the  economic  phases  of  rural  life  problems.  It  takes 
money  to  support  a  church,  money  to  build  roads,  money, 
and  lots  of  it,  to  establish  and  maintain  an  efficient  public 
school  system.  Farmers  must  make  money  if  they  would 
have  it  to  spend  for  public  institutions.  They  must  have 
something  left  after  paying  their  taxes,  if  they  would  feel 
like  spending  more  upon  their  schools,  more  towards  the 


28  The  Community  Center 

support  of  the  churches,  more  towards  the  improvement 
of  public  highways.  Let  a  farmer  have  enough  left  to 
enable  him  to  put  something  by  for  a  rainy  day,  to  own 
an  automobile,  and  to  spend  a  reasonable  amount  for 
the  personal  pleasure  of  himself  and  his  family,  and  then 
living  in  the  country  will  not  so  greatly  disturb  his  family's 
peace  of  mind.  For  it  is  claimed  by  some  students  of 
rural  life  conditions  that  boys  and  girls  are  sometimes 
attracted  to  the  city  more  by  their  desire  to  have  more 
money  for  personal  conveniences  than  by  their  mere 
desire  to  live  in  the  qity.  To  this  end  the  extension 
divisions  of  the  colleges,  universities,  and  normal  schools 
are  contributing  most  effectively  to  the  solution  of  country- 
life  problems.  Their  work  furnishes  a  fine  example  both 
of  the  need  and  of  the  effectiveness  of  capable,  trained, 
earnest  rural  life  leaders.  The  activities  of  these  leaders 
are  carried  on  through  what  we  conceive  to  be  community 
centers,  —  the  people  acting  together  in  matters  of  com- 
mon interest  to  all. 

4.  The  Rural  School.  In  this  chapter  we  have  thus 
far  tried  to  point  out  the  necessity  of  leadership  as  an 
element  of  progress  in  rural  life  betterment,  and  to  indi- 
cate the  possibilities  of  the  home,  the  church,  and  the 
extension  service  of  colleges,  universities,  and  other 
institutions  as  agencies  for  rural  leadership.  Next  in 
order,  but  certainly  not  least  in  importance,  is  the  rural 
school  as  an  agency  for  rural  leadership. 

The  Strategic  Position  of  the  School  for  Rural  Leader- 
ship. Of  the  four  agencies,  namely,  the  home,  the  church, 
the  extension  service,  and  the  school,  the  school  occupies 
distinctly  the  most  advantageous  position  as  an  immediate 
active  agency  for  rural  leadership.  The  home  is  an  agency 
of  rural  life  progress  only,  of  course,  in  its  peculiar  relation 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     29 

to  the  other  three  agencies  mentioned;  the  church  will 
be  handicapped  more  or  less  in  many  places  as  an  agency 
for  community  leadership  because  of  its  sectarian  nature ; 
while  the  extension  service  of  the  several  educational 
institutions  mentioned  is  more  or  less  dependent  upon 
the  rural  school  as  the  agency  of  its  activities.  (The 
school  has  the  advantage  (1)  of  being  free  from  partisan 
and  sectarian  influences,  (2)  of  being  a  public  institution, 
(3)  of  being  within  reach  of  all  the  people,  and  (4)  of 
having  the  teacher  as  a  paid  pubUc  officer,  from  whom 
the  people  may  well  expect  a  reasonable  service  in  addition 
to  his  classroom  work.  Furthermore,  from  the  very 
nature  of  his  position,  the  teacher  has  an  opportunity  for 
leadership  not  possessed  to  the  same  degree  by  any  other 
person  in  the  community., 

That  in  many  communities  the  rural  school  is  yet  in  a 
backward  condition  cannot  be  denied.  Yet  at  the  same 
time  the  potentiality  of  the  rural  school  as  a  means  of 
leadership  cannot  well  be  overestimated.  This  institu- 
tion is  in  the  peculiar  position  of  being  under  the  necessity 
of  reviving  and  rejuvenating  itself  while  it  is  at  the  same 
time  charged  with  the  duty  of  rendering  a  like  service 
to  the  community.  Yet,  it  can  revive  and  rejuvenate 
itself  only  by  aiding  the  people  themselves  to  reaUze  the 
best  that  country  life  affords.  When  the  rural  school 
shall  do  that  for  the  country  people,  it  will  have  reached 
its  highest  ideals  and  its  loftiest  purposes. 

The  Teacher  as  Leader.  How,  then,  may  the  rural 
school  accomplish  this  great  purpose  and  realize  its  highest 
ideals?  Mainly  through  the  personal  leadership  of  the 
teacher. 

Of  course,  the  teacher's  efforts  must  be  supplemented. 
Those  who  write  textbooks  may  have  to  put  into  them 


30  The  Community  Center 

material  better  adapted  for  the  use  of  the  teacher  in  his 
attempts  to  help  the  pupils  find  themselves  in  their 
immediate  environment.  Those  who  outline  courses  of 
study  and  daily  programs  may  have  to  give  the  teacher 
greater  freedom  in  adapting  his  work  to  the  needs  and 
the  environment  of  his  immediate  group  of  children. 
Those  who  prepare  examination  or  test  questions  may 
have  to  modify  their  practices  or  else  turn  their  attention 
to  better  employment.  Boards  of  education  may  have 
to  be  more  liberal  in  expending  public  funds,  to  supply  the 
teacher  with  the  necessary  equipment  for  the  school. 
Our  normal  schools  may  have  to  train  teachers  less  in 
theory  and  superficiality,  and  more  in  practical,  useful 
service.  The  people  will  have  to  provide  the  teacher  a  com- 
petence commensurate  with  the  service  which  he  renders. 
The  home,  the  church,  and  all  other  available  rural  life 
forces  will  have  to  cooperate  with  him  in  every  possible 
way.  But  the  teacher  himself  may  have  to  get  a  truer 
and  larger  vision  of  his  work  than  he  now  has;  he  will 
n^ed  always  to  have  a  proper  perspective  of  country  life ; 
he  will  have  to  possess  the  genuine  spirit  of  teaching  and 
of  social  service.  First,  however,  he  must  be  a  leader  in 
his  community,  in  order  that  he  may  be  all  things  else  to 
the  school  and  to  the  people  whom  he  serves. 

The  Secret  of  Leadership.  What  is  the  secret  of  a 
teacher's  successful  leadership?  First  to  be  mentioned 
are  his  personal  qualities,  —  power  of  initiative,  courage, 
adaptability,  good  judgment  of  situations,  and  industry. 
In  the  second  place,  the  country  teacher  must  understand 
country  people.  He  must  know  their  thoughts,  their 
feelings,  their  peculiarities,  their  prejudices,  as  well  as 
their  needs.  Above  all  things  else  he  must  have  a  lot  of 
good  common  sense  about  dealing  with  people.    Thus 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     31 

equipped,  the  teacher  may  be  assured  of  the  confidence 
and  the  good  will  of  the  community.  Then  he  will  be 
able  to  lead  them  to  see  their  own  situations  somewhat  as 
he  sees  them.  Seeing  their  situations  in  the  true  light, 
the  people  will  be  willing  to  follow  the  leadership  of  the 
teacher  in  accomplishing  what  they  mutually  desire. 

An  understanding  of  the  people  and  an  ability  to  lead 
them  to  see  their  true  situations  are  the  two  dominant 
qualities  which  have  characterized  every  really  great 
leader.  These  two  qualities  are  of  peculiar  importance 
in  the  problem  of  rural  life  leadership.  Whatever  im- 
provements in  economic,  social,  and  moral  conditions 
may  be  made,  must  be  made  by  the  country  people  them- 
selves; and  such  improvements  must  come  chiefly  out 
of  their  own  resources.  Leadership  can  help  them  only 
in  so  far  as  it  helps  them  to  find  themselves  in  their  en- 
vironment and  then  to  devise  means  of  improving  their 
situations.  If  the  teacher,  or  other  leader,  can  first  bring 
a  group  of  people  into  a  proper  relation  with  their  true 
situations,  a  mere  suggestion  may  be  all  that  is  necessary 
to  start  them  on  the  road  to  progress.  Such  suggestion 
may  be  made  to  come  from  one  of  their  own  number. 

An  Example  of  Unconscious  Leadership.  We  are  re- 
minded of  a  countryman  who  several  years  ago  imported 
from  another  state  three  pure-bred  calves,  one  male  and 
two  females.  These  were  the  first  pure-bred  cattle  to 
be  brought  into  that  community.  His  neighbors  believed 
this  man  to  be  crazy.  They  could  not  understand  why 
any  sensible  man  would  go  into  another  state  and  pay 
twice  as  much  for  calves  that  were  no  better,  so  far  as 
they  could  see,  than  could  be  obtained  at  home  for  a 
reasonable  price.  Not  until  this  neighbor  had  received 
from  ten  to  twenty  dollars  a  head  more  for  the  offspring 


32  The  Community  Center 

of  this  improved  breed  of  cattle  than  they  received  for 
their  "  scrub  ^'  product,  did  they  allow  themselves  to 
believe  that  improved  live  stock  pays.  But  once  they 
were  aroused  to  a  sense  of  new  possibilities  in  cattle 
breeding,  and  of  an  added  income  from  their  farms,  they 
readily  followed  the  example  of  that  leader. 

Where  or  how  this  countryman  got  the  idea  of  introduc- 
ing improved  live  stock  into  his  community  is  not  known, 
for  that  was  before  the  day  of  agricultural  agents.  Doubt- 
less his  motive  was  personal  gain  rather  than  community 
improvement.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  results  were  the 
same.  His  act  brought  new  life,  new  aspirations,  and 
moderate  prosperity  to  a  whole  community.  If  we  could 
find  in  each  community  a  man  who  has  the  vision  and 
the  courage  of  his  convictions  to  go  ahead  in  any  project 
for  the  improvement  of  his  own  situation,  the  rest  of  the 
community  would  in  time  be  likely  to  follow  his  example. 

The  Strategic  Position  of  the  Teacher.  As  has  been 
already  indicated,  the  teacher  holds  a  strategic  position 
as  a  rural  life  leader.  He  may  not  introduce  improved 
live  stock,  improved  farm  machinery,  etc.,  nor  assume 
active  leadership  by  example  in  working  out  many  other 
important  problems  of  rural  life  progress.  His  ultimate 
opportunity  lies  rather  in  his  ability  to  find  in  his  com- 
munity the  men  and  the  women  whom  he  may  encourage 
to  assume  active  leadership  in  every  department  of  rural 
life  improvement.  In  other  words,  the  teacher  may 
lead  best  by  discovering  and  helping  to  develop  local 
leaders  among  the  people  themselves. 

The  teacher's  best  means  of  accomplishing  this  purpose 
is  the  school  and  the  community  center.  By  these  means 
he  may  develop  "  social  capital,"  which  may  be  made 
productive  of  rural  life  progress  of  many  kinds. 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     33 

To  assume  personal  leadership  in  a  rural  community, 
in  the  way  herein  indicated,  is  not  an  easy  task,  to  be 
sure,  yet  it  has  been  done  time  and  time  again.  Perhaps 
no  two  teachers  will  do  identically  the  same  things,  nor 
in  exactly  the  same  ways.  But  neither  do  any  two 
teachers  teach  exactly  the  same  things  in  precisely  the 
same  ways.  Local  conditions  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration and  the  community  activities  must  be  adapted 
to  actual  conditions.  The  teacher  must  be  keen  to  sense 
situations  and  to  meet  them  in  the  most  agreeable  and 
effective  way. 

Dealing  with  a  Situation.  As  an  illustration,  let  us 
cite  the  experience  of  one  country  teacher  who  went  into 
a  rural  community  to  teach  just  an  average  rural  school. 
She  knew  nothing  about  conditions  there,  but  she  had 
enough  self-confidence  to  believe  that  she  would  be  master 
of  any  situation  that  might  arise.  Accordingly,  she 
arrived  in  the  community  a  few  days  before  the  opening 
of  school.  Immediately  she  went  to  her  schoolhouse  to 
look  the  situation  over.  Then  she  sent  out  a  call  to  all 
the  children  and  their  parents  to  meet  her  at  the  school- 
house  at  one  o'clock  on  Saturday  before  the  Monday 
when  school  would  begin.  This  unusual  procedure  on 
the  part  of  their  teacher  in  itself  so  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  both  children  and  parents  that  nearly  all  were 
present  at  the  hour  designated  for  the  meeting.  This  was 
their  first  community  center  meeting. 

After  getting  acquainted,  she  began  talking  informally 
with  the  children  and  their  parents  about  the  condition 
of  their  school  grounds,  which,  as  they  all  could  see,  were 
covered  with  briers,  weeds,  and  litter  of  every  kind. 
Pretty  soon  one  of  the  fathers  said,  "  Well,  let's  clean  it 
up,  boys."    At  this  suggestion,  they  procured  a  scythe, 


34  The  Community  Center 

cut  the  briers  and  weeds,  and  cleared  away  the  rubbish. 
Meanwhile,  the  teacher  had  gone  with  the  mothers  and 
the  girls  into  the  schoolhouse.  There  they  found  the 
floors,  walls,  and  windows  dirty,  and  the  whole  place 
looking  dingy.  Following  the  example  of  the  men  and 
boys  outside,  they  set  about  overhauling  and  thoroughly 
cleaning  the  interior  of  the  building. 

By  the  time  the  schoolhouse  and  grounds  had  been 
put  in  order,  there  came  up  a  hard  rain  which  drove 
everybody  into  the  schoolhouse.  To  the  surprise  of 
every  one,  except  the  children,  the  roof  let  in  the  rain  in 
many  places.  Being  equal  to  the  occasion,  the  teacher 
addressed  the  assembly  in  some  such  words  as  these : 

"  Friends,  our  school  begins  Monday  and  we  are  likely 
to  have  a  lot  of  showers  before  the  winter  is  over.  Do 
you  think  it  would  be  safe  for  these  children  to  be  ex- 
posed to  weather  like  this  when  it  gets  cold?  They 
would  certainly  be  sick  much  of  the  time.  Don't  you 
think  that  something  ought  to  be  done  to  improve  this 
condition?  " 

This  was  a  plain  statement  with  a  suggestion.  No 
argument  was  necessary.  After  some  discussion,  it  was 
decided  at  the  teacher's  suggestion  that  a  committee  be 
appointed  to  wait  upon  the  board  of  education  with  the 
request  that  the  roof  be  mended.  The  board  informed 
this  committee  that  all  the  funds  had  been  appropriated 
for  that  year,  but  that  by  another  year  the  repairs  could 
be  made.  The  committee  made  its  report  at  a  community 
meeting  on  the  following  Friday  night.  When  the  report 
had  been  submitted,  the  teacher  asked  what  should  be 
done.  No  one  seemed  to  know.  "  Fll  tell  you,"  said 
the  teacher,  "  if  you  think  it  would  be  best,  we  could  get 
up  an  entertainment  by  the  children  and  perhaps  raise 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     35 

enough  money  to  buy  the  shingles  and  nails."  "  If  you'll 
do  that,"  broke  in  a  member  of  the  committee,  "  we'll  put 
'em  on."  All  were  agreed  upon  this  plan.  The  enter- 
tainment was  successful,  and  a  brand  new  roof  was  put 
on  the  schoolhouse. 

One  Achievement  Prepares  for  Another.  The  miracle 
had  been  performed.  The  teacher  had  proved  herself 
a  leader.  From  that  day  forth,  the  community  was 
completely  subject  to  the  wish  of  their  teacher  in  school 
affairs.  But  putting  a  roof  on  the  schoolhouse  was  not 
important  in  itself.  A  carpenter  could  have  been  hired 
to  do  that,  if  funds  had  been  available.  What  was  all 
important  in  this  situation  was  the  cooperative  activity 
of  the  neighborhood  in  a  matter  of  community  interest,  — 
the  effect  this  activity  had  upon  subsequent  community 
activities  and  upon  the  life  and  the  spirit  of  the  com- 
munity as  a  whole.  From  that  day  forth  every  citizen 
felt  a  personal  interest  in  his  school  and  in  his  community. 
As  time  went  on,  weekly  community  meetings  were  held 
at  the  schoolhouse.  Some  of  these  meetings  were  purely 
social,  some  were  for  entertainment,  some  were  informa- 
tional. The  people  began  to  discuss  ways  and  means  of 
improving  their  farms,  their  live  stock,  their  houses,  their 
roads,  and  their  school.  A  farmers'  reading  circle,  a 
mothers'  club,  and  boys'  and  girls'  agricultural  clubs 
were  organized,  as  special  features  of  the  community 
center.  Under  the  leadership  of  the  teacher,  the  school 
had  become  for  the  first  time  a  cooperative  unit  of  society. 

Developing  Community  Leaders.  So  let  no  one  say, 
"  It  cannot  be  done."  It  is  being  done  with  greater  or 
less  degree  of  success  by  thousands  of  teachers  every 
year.  Many  of  our  country's  greatest  leaders  in  every 
line  of  human  endeavor  have  come  from  rural  communis 


36  The  Community  Center 

ties.  They  have  become  great  leaders  because  they  have 
had  opportunity  to  develop  their  powers.  Among  those 
who  have  remained  on  the  farms  there  are  likewise  many 
who  possess  latent  powers  of  leadership,  needing  but  a 
word  of  encouragement  from  the  local  teacher  to  release 
their  pent-up  energies. 

Personal  Courage  of  First  Importance.  The  greatest 
obstacle  in  the  path  of  the  teacher  charged  with  the 
responsibility  of  leadership  is  the  fear  of  failure.  Many 
teachers  lack  the  courage  necessary  to  make  a  beginning. 
But  over  and  over  again  the  wi'iter  has  heard  teachers 
declare  joyfully,  "  Everything  went  just  fine  after  we 
got  things  started."  We  take  the  liberty  to  quote  from 
a  letter  received  recently  from  a  rural  school  teacher  who 
was  not  afraid  to  try. 

My  school  was  located  in  a  small  village  where  there  were  no 
social  activities  whatsoever,  except  church  and  Sunday  School, 
both  of  which  were  very  poorly  attended.  I  took  great  pains  to 
advertise  our  first  meeting.  The  topic  of  discussion  for  the  even- 
ing was  "Better  Rural  Schools."  About  sixty  persons  attended 
this  meeting,  a  very  unusual  gathering  for  New  Creek.  Every  one  was 
delighted  with  the  program,  and  I  took  care  to  speak  to  all  the  people 
and  invite  them  to  come  again.  The  next  program,  "Ye  Old  Time 
School  Days,"  was  attended  much  better  than  the  first.  This  pro- 
gram was  for  the  older  people.  From  this  time  on,  the  interest  grew  and 
our  success  was  assured.  Two  evenings  we  had  lantern-slide  lectures 
on  agricultural  subjects.  At  Christmas  time,  the  church  and  the 
school  united  and  gave  a  Christmas  program  with  a  community 
Christmas  tree.  Our  meetings  were  held  every  Friday  evening, 
except  when  the  weather  was  unusually  bad.  The  average  attend- 
ance was  about  sixty,  the  largest  attendance  being  about  one  hun- 
dred. At  least  eighty  per  cent  of  the  parents  attended  these  meet- 
ings regularly.  We  raised  about  sixteen  dollars  for  school  improve- 
ments and  now  the  whole  community  is  taking  an  active  interest 
in  the  school. 

I  taught  the  school  of  thirty-six  pupils  without  any  trouble,  which 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     37 

is  something  that  had  not  been  done  here  for  several  years.  I  am 
sure  my  success  with  the  school  was  due  in  a  measure  to  the  com- 
munity center.  We  expect  next  year  to  turn  the  community  center 
into  an  evening  school  for  part  of  the  time.  The  farmers  of  the 
community  expect  to  get  together  to  study  agriculture.  One  of  the 
best  farmers  in  the  community  has  volunteered  to  lead  this  study. 
The  mothers  expect  to  form  a  literary  club.  I  expect  to  work  from 
now  on  to  interest  illiterates  in  this  movement.  The  teachers  near  by 
are  going  to  cooperate  with  me,  and  we  expect  to  make  the  work  go. 

This  letter  is  worthy  of  careful  study.  Note  that 
"  a  very  poorly  attended  ''  church  and  Sunday  School 
were  the  only  "  social  "  activities  in  this  community. 
That  is  typical  of  the  average  rural  community.  The 
teacher  "  took  great  pains  to  advertise  the  first  meeting." 
That  is  necessary  if  the  teacher  would  have  a  good  attend- 
ance. Note  the  topics  for  discussion  at  the  first  and 
second  meetings :  "  Better  Rural  Schools  "  and  "  Ye 
Old  Time  School  Days."  The  latter  is  particularly  help- 
ful in  getting  the  people  to  think  about  their  schools. 
People,  especially  older  people,  like  to  hark  back  to  the 
experiences  of  earlier  days.  Note  also  that  the  second 
meeting  was  better  attended  than  the  first,  which  is 
usually  the  case.  "  From  this  time  on  the  interest  grew 
and  our  success  was  assured  .  .  .  and  now  the  whole 
community  is  taking  an  interest  in  the  school."  If  a 
teacher  can  have  eighty  per  cent  of  the  community  mem- 
bers with  him  at  the  schoolhouse  once  a  week,  he  will 
have  no  complaint  to  make  that  the  people  do  not  show 
proper  interest  in  his  school ;  for  if  the  teacher  will  first 
show  interest  in  his  community,  the  community  is  almost 
sure  to  show  interest  in  the  school.  Note  also  that  the 
teacher  had  no  trouble  with  the  school  of  thirty-six.  Of 
course  not,  because  she  had  the  loyal  cooperation  of  the 
parents  as  well  as  of  the  children. 


38  The  Community  Center 

New  Opportunities  Become  Visible.  But  the  finest 
part  of  this  teacher's  experience  is  her  outline  for  the 
next  year,  —  a  night  school,  a  class  in  agriculture  led  by 
one  of  the  best  farmers  of  the  community,  a  mothers' 
literary  club,  an  opportunity  for  illiterates  to  overcome 
their  handicap,  and  the  cooperation  of  her  neighbor 
teachers  in  all  of  these  undertakings.  How  much  better 
that  is  than  to  be  wondering  if  next  year  she  can  find 
another  school  where  she  may  have  a  little  easier  time! 
For  one  of  the  best  features  of  the  community  center 
work  is  that  usually  the  successful  teacher  becomes  so 
interested  in  his  community  the  first  year  that  he  feels 
he  must  stay  longer  in  order  to  carry  out  the  plans  which 
he  has  already  devised.  It  is  the  "  doctrine  of  interest  " 
applied  in  a  very  practical  and  a  very  effective  way. 

The  Press  Takes  Notice.  Inclosed  with  the  letter 
just  quoted  is  a  newspaper  clipping,  which  the  teacher 
did  not  mention  but  which  is  so  suggestive  of  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  community  center  at  its  best  that  we  quote 
it  also : 

A  society  known  as  the  New  Creek  Civic  Club  has  been  organized 
in  this  community.  The  movement  started  with  the  members 
of  the  hygiene  class  of  the  New  Creek  School,  who  determined  to 
band  themselves  together  in  order  to  carry  on  more  successfully  a 
war  against  the  house  fly,  which  has  become  a  pest  in  our  community. 
Other  objects  of  the  club  are  beautifying  home  grounds,  destroying 
weeds  and  keeping  the  school  grounds  in  order  during  the  summer 
vacation.  The  movement  has  spread  until  a  large  number  of  citi- 
zens of  the  community  have  joined  the  club. 

A  meeting  is  held  every  two  weeks,  at  which  the  best  ways  of 
carrying  on  the  war  against  the  house  fly  are  discussed  and  each  mem- 
ber gives  a  report  of  what  he  or  she  has  been  doing.  Literature  on 
the  house  fly  is  to  be  scattered  broadcast  among  the  people  of  the 
community.  The  slogan  of  the  club  is  "Clean  up  and  beautify 
New  Creek." 


Leadership  and  the  Community  Center     39 

Developing  a  Constructive  Program.  Such  work  grows 
from  year  to  year.  Attacking  one  problem  reveals  the 
existence,  and  suggests  the  solution,  of  many  others. 
The  program  soon  becomes  constructive.  If  every  school 
in  the  United  States  had  as  its  teacher  the  kind  of  leader 
that  New  Creek  school  had,  at  least  nine  tenths  of  all  our 
rural  life  problems  would  shortly  work  themselves  out. 
The  rural  populations  are  not  dead,  but  sleeping.  They 
need  waking  up.  They  are  like  a  vast  army  sleeping 
upon  its  arms,  waiting  for  a  leader  to  arouse  them  and 
to  lead  them  forth  to  action.  The  logical  leader  of  the 
rural  community  is  the  teacher,  but  many  teachers  are 
also  sleeping.  We  have  faith,  however,  that  from  year  to 
year  more  and  more  of  our  rural  teachers  vdll  hear  the 
call  to  service  and  will  respond  to  that  call. 

EXERCISES 

1.  To  what  extent  have  you  made  yourself  a  leader  in  the  com- 
munities in  which  you  have  taught? 

2.  What  are  the  greatest  obstacles  you  have  met  in  becoming  a 
community  leader? 

3.  How  have  you  overcome  such  obstacles  and  with  what  success? 

4.  Select  a  community  with  which  you  are  acquainted,  but  in 
which  you  have  not  been  a  teacher,  and  explain  in  detail  the  method 
you  would  follow  in  making  yourself  a  leader  as  teacher  in  that  com- 
munity. 

5.  In  the  same  community  how  would  you  secure  the  cooperation 
of  the  other  agencies  of  rural  leadership  with  the  school? 

6.  Indicate  how  you  would  employ  the  press  as  a  means  of  es- 
tablishing your  leadership  in  that  community. 

7.  Referring  to  exercise  4,  state  in  some  detail  how  you  would 
proceed  to  secure  the  cooperation  of  the  ministers  and  other  recog- 
nized leaders  in  the  community. 

8.  For  the  community  selected  under  exercise  4,  outline  in  detail 
the  method  you  would  follow  in 'developing  local  leaders  from  among 
the  people. 


CHAPTER     III 

THE   COMMUNITY   CENTER  IDEA 

1.   WHAT  IS  A  RURAL  COMMUNITY? 

One  who  has  familiarized  himself  with  the  literature 
dealing  with  the  purposes  and  the  methods  of  community 
center  workers  is  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  there  is 
more  or  less  agreement  among  these  workers  as  to  what 
the  general  purposes  of  the  community  center  should  be, 
but  that  there  is  still  a  good  deal  of  confusion  among 
the  workers  themselves,  and  especially  among  the  people 
generally,  as  to  just  what  the  community  center  is,  the 
particular  problems  it  should  undertake  to  solve,  and  the 
methods  to  be  employed  for  attainmg  the  best  results. 

A  Definition  of  a  Community.  tThe  first  step  in  the 
development  of  the  community  center  idea  is  to  deter- 
mine what  we  mean  by  the  phrase,  rural  community, 
Mr.  C.  J.  Galpin  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin  has 
described  the  rural  community  as  follows: 

Take  the  village  as  the  community  center;  start  out  from  here 
on  any  road  into  the  open  country;  you  come  to  a  home,  and  the 
deep  wear  of  the  wheels  out  of  the  yard  toward  the  village  indicates 
that  this  home  naturally  goes  to  this  village  for  trade,  doctor,  post- 
office,  church,  lodge,  entertainment,  high  school;  the  next  home 
the  same,  and  the  next,  until  by  and  by  you  come  to  a  home  where 
the  ruts  run  the  other  way  and  the  grass  grows  a  little  perhaps  in  the 
turn  toward  the  village,  and  you  find  that  this  home  goes  to  an  ad- 
joining town  for  its  major  associations;  between  these  two  homes 
is  the  bounding  line  of  the  community.  .  .  .    The  village  and  the 

40 


The  Community  Center  Idea  41 

open  country  form  a  community  of  homes  which  seem  to  be  a  sort 
of  social  drainage  basin,  beyond  whose  border  every  home  drains 
off  into  some  other  basin/ 

The  School  Community.  This  definition  of  a  rural 
community  by  Mr.  Galpin  is  an  excellent  description  of 
a  community  whose  geographical  center  is  a  village:  It 
is  not,  however,  descriptive  of  the  rural  community  of 
the  open  country,  such  as  we  shall  usually  have  in  mind 
in  these  discussions.'>  For  while  the  people  of  Mr.  Gal- 
pin's  village  community  go  to  the  village  for  trade,  doctor, 
lodge,  and  high  school,  the  people  of  the  strictly  rural 
community  do  not  go  there  for  church  and  entertainment, 
except  occasionally  to  church  where  none  is  to  be  found 
in  the  country,  and  for  entertainment  only  upon  some 
special  occasion,  such  as  the  district  or  county  fair  or  a 
Fourth  of  July  celebration.  Moreover,  rural  free  delivery 
of  mails  has  made  it  unnecessary  for  them  to  go  to  the 
village  post  office.  Within  such  average  village  com- 
munity will  be  found  a  number  of  smaller  communities  — 
strictly  rural  —  whose  centers  are  the  schoolhouses  or 
the  churches.  It  is  these  smaller  rural  communities, 
or  neighborhoods,  with  which  the  rural  community  cen- 
ter is  likely  to  be  most  concerned  for  the  present. 

The  size  of  the  village  community  depends  in  part 
upon  the  topography  of  the  country,  the  condition  of  the 
public  highways,  the  facilities  for  transportation,  and  the 
sparsity  of  the  population ;  while  the  size  of  the  smaller 
communities,  or  neighborhoods,  is  usually  determined 
by  the  group  of  families  who  patronize  the  school  or  the 
church.  The  village  itself,  of  course,  is  a  community 
center  for  its  own  inhabitants  and  for  those  families  who 
live  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  /For  our  immediate  pur- 
poses we  may,  therefore,  define  the  rural  community  as 


42  The  Community  Center 

the  group  of  homes  from  which  the  children  go  to  the  same 
school,  wheth^  that  he  a  one-teacher  school  or  a  consoli- 
dated school. 

It  should  be  added,  however,  that  the  consolidation 
of  a  group  of  one-teacher  schools  does  not  in  every  case 
result  in  a  corresponding  consolidation  of  their  respective 
school  communities,  and  in  such  cases  the  benefits  to  be 
gained  by  the  consolidation  of  schools  are  very  greatly 
discounted.  On  the  other  hand,  it  will  be  found  pos- 
sible in  many  places  to  consolidate  a  group  of  school 
communities  into  a  single  community  center  without 
at  the  same  time  consolidating  the  schools.  Unless  the 
schools  and  their  communities  can  be  consolidated  at 
the  same  time,  the  most  effective  way  of  bringing  about 
school  consolidation  of  the  best  type  may  be  first  to 
consolidate  the  school  communities  through  the  activi- 
ties of  the  larger  community  center. 

2.   COMMUNITY  INTERESTS 

Revival  of  Interest  in  Country  Life.  It  has  been  claimed 
by  some  students  of  country  life,  that  in  a  great  many 
rural  communities  the  people  have  no  community  interests ; 
that  they  have  lost  most  of  the  interest  they  once  possessed 
in  country  life,  resulting  in  a  corresponding  loss  of  interest 
in  their  farms,  their  homes,  their  schools,  their  churches, 
and  all  things  else  pertaining  to  their  present  surroundings. 
To  a  certain  extent  that  claim  may  be  based  on  facts. 
There  are  many  signs,  however,  indicating  that,  although 
these  rural  folk  may  have  been  at  one  time  discouraged 
with  existing  conditions  and  opportunities,  they  have 
lately  taken  fresh  courage  and  become  better  satisfied  with 
the  newer  opportunities  of  the  country.    For  example, 


The  Community  Center  Idea  43 

we  ought  to  consider  in  this  connection  the  significance 
of  the  fact  that  within  the  past  decade,  and  particularly 
within  the  past  few  years,  rural  people  have  voted  bonds 
and  special  levies  for  schools,  public  highways,  and  other 
community  improvements  to  an  extent  never  before  known 
in  the  history  of  this  country.  The  majority  vote  upon  a 
proposition  to  establish  a  high  school  in  a  community 
would  seem  to  be  a  fairly  accurate  measure  of  the  senti- 
ment of  that  community  towards  country  life. 

Judging  from  that  point  of  view,  we  may  reasonably 
assume  that  a  majority  of  the  people  now  living  in  the 
country  still  have  faith  in  its  opportunities  and  that 
they  are  not  so  badly  dissatisfied  with  their  present 
situations  as  we  have  been  led  to  suspect.  There  are 
indications  also  that  the  migration  of  rural  populations 
to  the  cities  may  have  passed  the  peak  of  that  move- 
ment and  that  from  now  on  we  may  expect  greater  sta- 
bility in  the  rural  population.  No  doubt  the  present 
high  prices  which  every  kind  of  farm  produce  commands, 
and  the  correspondingly  high  cost  of  living  in  the  city, 
are  very  largely  responsible  for  this  changed  attitude 
of  the  rural  folk,  if  we  are  correct  in  believing  such  change 
has  taken  place.  Furthermore,  the  rural  people  are 
becoming  better  acquainted  both  with  the  advantages 
of  the  country  and  with  some  disadvantages  of  the  city. 
Contributing  directly  to  such  knowledge  are  the  schools, 
the  agricultural  agencies,  and  the  publicity  campaigns 
that  have  been  carried  on  in  recent  years  in  the  interests 
of  country  life. 

Such  considerations  as  these  increase  our  faith  in  the 
country  and  renew  our  hopes  for  continued  improve- 
ment of  country  living.  They  do  not,  however,  cover 
the  whole  rural  situation.     For  in  spite  of  what  has  al- 


44  The  Community  Center 

ready  been  attained  in  the  way  of  improving  rural  con- 
ditions, more  and  greater  achievements  await  the  efforts 
of  the  present  and  future  generations.  In  fact,  we  have 
only  recently  begun  in  earnest  the  constructive  work 
of  rural  life  betterment. 

vjndividual  Interests  and  Community  Interests.  For  com- 
munity purposes,  the  activities  and  interests  of  the  in- 
dividuals composing  such  a  community  will  be  only  in- 
cidental to  the  activities  and  interests  of  the  community 
as  a  whole.  Yet  it  will  be  apparent  that  certain  of  the 
individual  interests  are  also  of  common  interest  to  the 
whole  group,  and  the  aggregate  of  these  common  inter- 
ests constitutes  the  principal  field  of  the  community 
center.  To  illustrate :  The  primary  interests  of  Farmer 
Jones  are  (1)  that  he  shall  get  the  best  possible  yield 
from  his  farm  and  (2)  that  he  shall  receive  the  highest 
possible  price  for  his  farm  products.  These  are  individual 
or  family  interests.  Yet  the  whole  community  is  interested 
in  the  success  of  Farmer  Jones  in  attaining  these  ends ; 
for  his  prosperity  and  that  of  every  other  farmer  of  the 
group  determines  the  general  prosperity  of  the  community. 
Reasoning  from  that  point  of  view,  we  may  conclude, 
therefore,  that  whatsoever  the  community  can  do  towards 
the  improvement  of  farming  conditions  in  that  community 
may  properly  become  of  interest  to  the  whole  group.  It 
is  fair  to  assume,  also,  that  such  deepened  community 
interest  in  improving  farming  conditions  will  arouse  a 
consequent  desire  on  the  part  of  the  group  for  the  im- 
provement of  schools,  roads,  health  conditions,  moral 
surroundings,  social  and  recreation  facilities.  Such  special 
features  of  farming  conditions  may  become  enterprises 
which  the  whole  community  will  strive  to  promote  for 
mutual  benefit.     And  it  is  for  the  promotion  of  such 


The  Community  Center  Idea  45 

enterprises  that  the  community  center  has  its  chief  sig- 
nificancey 

In  proportion  to  any  lack  of  common  interests  to  be 
found  in  a  given  rural  community  will  usually  be  noted 
a  lack  of  individual  interests;  not  so  much  perhaps  in 
the  immediate  business  affairs  of  the  individuals  as  in 
the  institutions  and  in  the  general  tone  of  the  community. 
Where  it  is  found  that  a  rural  community  has  apparently 
lost  interest  in  agriculture  and  in  the  improvement  of 
rural  conditions,  it  may  be  difficult  to  determine  whether 
this  changed  situation  has  come  about  as  a  result  of  loss 
of  interest  in  farming  as  a  business  or  in  what  may  be 
termed  the  accessories  of  farming;  that  is,  in  the  rural 
institutions  and  in  country  life  in  general.  In  either 
case,  there  is  opportunity  in  the  community  center  to 
renew  the  faith  of  the  people  in  country  living.  Whether 
the  point  of  attack  shall  be  in  improved  methods  of  agri- 
culture or  in  improved  rural  conditions  centering  around 
agriculture,  will  usually  depend  upon  the  prime  inter- 
ests of  the  people  at  the  moment.  An  attack  from  either 
angle  of  the  situation  will  result  in  substantially  the  same 
achievements;  namely,  the  general  improvement  of  liv- 
ing conditions  in  a  given  community. 

Common  Interests  and  Improved  Living  Conditions. 
As  has  been  pointed  out  above,  there  are  indications 
that  the  tide  of  rural  migration  may  already  have  reached 
the  turning  point;  that  there  is  now  an  increasing 
tendency  in  rural  populations  towards  greater  stability, 
with  a  correspondingly  greater  interest  in  rural  life  and 
rural  institutions.  Instead  of  going  to  the  city  to  secure 
better  educational  advantages  for  his  children,  or  for 
recreation,  entertainment,  or  religious  worship,  the 
average  farmer  is,  we  believe,  becoming  more  and  more 


46  The  Community  Center 

inclined  to  join  his  fellows  in  providing  all  of  these  ad- 
vantages in  his  own  neighborhood.  At  the  same  time 
the  farmers  are  pursuing  improved  methods  of  agricul- 
ture, which  in  itself  furnishes  them  with  stronger  motives 
for  remaining  on  their  farms  and  providing  better  facili- 
ties of  country  living.  Good  roads  mean  increased  op- 
portunities for  marketing  the  farm  products  and  for 
travel.  The  consolidated  elementary  school  is  designed 
to  provide  the  country  boy  better  educational  training 
than  he  could  get  in  the  city  elementary  school.  Of 
very  great  significance  is  the  rapid  growth  of  the  rural 
high  school  movement  at  the  present  time.  The  courses 
of  study  in  these  high  schools  are  intended  to  be  so  ar- 
ranged that  the  pupils  may  get  what  they  most  need. 
If  they  intend  to  be  farmers,  they  may  pursue  those 
studies  which  will  give  them  the  maximum  of  general 
culture  that  is  consistent  with  their  chief  purpose  of  pre- 
paring to  be  good  farmers.  If  they  are  looking  towards 
a  profession  and  the  necessary  college  or  university  train- 
ing, then  they  may  select  their  programs  of  study  with 
such  aims  in  view.  Our  imaginations  fairly  soar  in 
contemplation  of  the  time  when  a  considerable  majority 
of  the  rural  populations  will  have  had  such  an  educa- 
tional training  as  the  rural  high  school  is  designed  to 
offer  the  boys  and  girls  who  expect  to  remain  on  the 
farms. 

As  the  rural  populations  become  more  and  more  inter- 
ested in  the  opportunities  that  the  country  offers  for  a 
livelihood,  largely  by  means  of  such  improved  condi- 
tions as  we  have  just  indicated,  they  will  develop  greater 
interest  also  in  the  church,  in  facilities  for  greater  social 
and  recreational  enjoyment,  and  in  all  things  else  that 
pertain  to  country-life  improvement.     If  it  is  possible 


The  Community  Center  Idea  47 

for  the  country  people  to  prosper,  to  enjoy  their  leisure, 
to  educate  their  children,  and  to  develop  permanent 
community  interests  and  associations,  then  the  city  will 
no  longer  possess  its  old-time  charms  for  them.  Whether 
economic  prosperity  shall  come  first,  or  whether  a  more 
wholesome  social  life  shall  precede  as  a  means  of  attain- 
ing to  greater  prosperity,  is  more  or  less  immaterial, 
since  in  any  case  these  two  conditions  must  supplement 
each  other  in  the  general  process  of  bringing  about  a  better 
status  of  country  living.  It  is  one  of  the  aims  of  this 
volume  to  point  out  some  ways  of  assisting  country 
people,  by  working  through  the  community  center,  to 
find  both  better  social  life  and  greater  prosperity,  to  the 
end  that  the  country  may  become  a  more  desirable  place 
to  live  while  maintaining  a  livelihood. 

3.   WHAT     IS    A    COMMUNITY    CENTER? 

The  Community  Center  a  Real  Need.  The  revival 
of  the  community  center  idea  has  the  appearance  of 
being  the  spontaneous  response  of  a  large  number  of 
leaders  to  strong  community  needs,  each  leader,  or  group 
of  leaders,  trying  in  his  own  way  to  meet  the  changed 
social,  moral,  and  economic  conditions  which  have  come 
upon  us,  both  urban  and  rural  alike.  We  have  had  a  deal 
of  experience  with  the  community  center,  but  much  of 
this  experience  has  not  been  available  as  suggestive  of 
what  our  aim  should  be  or  of  the  best  ways  of  attaining 
to  such  aims  as  we  have. 

Mr.  John  Hogan,  Jr.,  has  described  the  situation  in 
this  way : 

In  spite  of  the  enormous  extent  of  community  center  work 
throughout  the  United  States,  there  is  among  us  a  grave  lack  of 


48  The  Community  Center 

coordination.  We  have  centers  here  and  there  and  everywhere, 
all  attempting  to  solve  the  same  problems,  most  of  them  making  the 
same  mistakes,  but  some  finally  achieving  successful  solution.  Now, 
if  it  were  possible  to  make  available  to  all  centers  everywhere  the 
work  which  any  one  of  us  had  completed  successfully,  or  the  method 
by  which  we  overcame  our  difficulties,  then  the  rest  of  us  would  be 
saved  the  labor  and  hopelessness  of  a  struggle  in  vain,  and  we  could 
be  put  at  once  on  the  right  track.  If  only  that  much  could  be  done, 
the  successful  efforts  of  all  of  us  would  have  much  more  far-reaching 
results. 

We  do  not  assume  that  Mr.  Hogan  would  have  all  of 
us  do  the  same  things  in  exactly  the  same  ways.     Local 
conditions  vary  greatly  in  different  communities,  and  our 
efforts  must  be  adjusted,  in  so  far  as  may  be,  to  these 
local  conditions.     We  can,  however,  note  what  projects 
have  been  successfully  carried  out,  the  results  obtained, 
the  methods  employed,  together  with  some  general  sug- 
gestions, and  then  let  each  individual,  or  group  of  in- 
dividuals, make  of  this  body  of  material  what  he  may. 
That  much,  if  well  done  would  be  a  long  step  towards 
making  effective  the  activities  of  the  community  center. 
y    How  Some  Leaders  Have  Tried  to  Meet  Such  Need. 
/That  the  community  center  movement  is  a  response  of 
leaders  to  strongly  felt  social  needs  and  that  its  activi- 
ties are  necessarily  guided  by  local  social,  political,  and 
economic  conditions  are  both  borne  out  by  the  notable 
example  of  the  "  social  center  "  in  Rochester,  New  York, 
j  nmder  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Edward  J.  Ward,  sometime 
1  director  of  the  recreation  facilities  of  that  city.    The 
j  conditions   which    obtained   there   evidently   impressed 
I  Mr.  Ward  with  the  idea  that  he  could  accomplish  most 
I  of  his  assigned  duties  by  having  the  people  meet  at  the 
\  public  schoolhouse  to   discuss  the  political   and   social 
policies  of  the  city.    Later,  he  and  his  co-workers  sue- 


The  Community  Center  Idea  49 

ceeded  in  having  the  public  schoolhouses  used  also  as 
voting  places  in  elections.  Mr.  Ward  records  the  achieve- 
ments of  the  social  centers  in  Rochester  in  a  most  help- 
ful and  suggestive  book.^ 

In  Boston  and  in  other  New  England  cities  Mr.  War- 
ren Dunham  Foster  has  done  very  notable  work  with 
the  community  center  by  conceiving  recreation  as  the 
basal  factor  in  the  community  center  movement  and  by 
correlating  about  recreation  all  the  other  phases  of  this 
general  movement.  Others  have  approached  the  same 
general  problem  and  achieved  the  same  general  results 
through  the  activities  of  the  Boy  Scouts,  the  Camp  Fire 
Girls,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  the  Grange,  the 
church,  the  Chautauqua,  the  "  spelling  bee,"  the  school 
*'  literary,"  the  drama,  evening  schools,  agricultural 
demonstrations,  etc. 

In  every  case  we  should  bear  in  mind,  first,  that  our 
ultimate  aim  is  community  building  in  the  broadest 
sense  of  that  phrase;  and  secondly,  that  in  attaining 
to  that  goal,  we  shall  have  to  begin  with  the  previous 
experiences  of  the  people  with  whom  we  are  associated 
at  the  moment) 

Is  the  Community  Center  a  Meeting  Place  ?  As  a  matter 
of  convenience,  every  community  should  have  a  meet- 
ing place,  where  the  people  may  come  together  at  any 
convenient  time  and  feel  at  home.  And  for  certain 
kinds  of  community  activities  such  a  place  is  absolutely 
necessary.  /Usually  the  logical  place  for  such  as- 
semblies, partitrularly  in  rural  communities,  is  the  school- 
house,  although  in  many  communities  the  church,  the 
grange  \hall,  or  some  other  place  will  be  found  more  con- 
venient) Within  the  past  few  years  many  states  have 
1  The  Social  Center,  D.  Appleton  &  Company 


50  The  Community  Center 

waged  campaigns  to  secure  the  legal  privilege  of  hold- 
ing public  meetings  at  the  schoolhouse,  more  especially 
as  voting  places.  This  propaganda  has  the  active  sup- 
port of  President  Wilson  and  of  many  other  men  and 
wojnen  of  national  prominence. 

/The  schoolhouse  is  found  to  be  the  logical  place  for 
coTnmunity  meetings  in  most  rural  communities  for  the 
following  reasons:  (1)  In  many  rural  communities  no 
other  meeting  place  is  available;  (2)  the  schoolhouse 
is  public  property,  which  is  idle  more  than  half  the  time, 
and  its  use  for  this  purpose  is,  therefore,  an  extra  divi- 
dend upon  the  people's  investment;  (3)  the  public 
schoolhouse  is  everywhere  free  from  sectarian  and  po- 
litical feelings  of  any  sort;  and  (4)  the  average  rural 
community  cannot  afford  to  provide  a  hall  or  lease  a 
room  for  such  purpose,  even  if  this  were  necessary. 

Perhaps  the  chief  disadvantage  of  the  schoolhouse 
as  a  meeting  place  for  the  community  center  is  the  fact 
that  the  average  rural  schoolhouse  is  not  constructed 
and  not  equipped  for  such  purposes^  Usually  the  seats 
are  nailed  to  the  floor  and,  as  they  have  been  selected 
and  placed  with  reference  only  to  the  convenience  of  the 
children,  adults  find  it  almost  impossible  to  occupy  them. 
Manufacturers  of  school  furniture  now  manufacture 
also  removable  desks,  which  can  easily  be  arranged  for 
community  center  meetings.  In  a  great  many  places 
the  schools  are  fitted  up  with  kitchens  for  teaching  do- 
mestic arts;  these  may  be  used  also  for  the  purpose  of 
serving  refreshments  upon  proper  occasions.  As  the 
community  center  work  progresses,  we  may  reasonably 
expect  that  greater  care  will  be  taken  to  construct  and 
equip  the  schoolhouse  with  a  view  to  accommodating 
the  people  when  assembled  there. 


The  Community  Center  Idea  51 

A  Function  of  the  Community  Center.  The  school- 
house  will  serve  as  a  community  meeting  place  for  all 
ordinary  occasions,  such  as  entertainments,  public  dis- 
cussions, voting,  literary  programs,  and  "  sociables." 
But  the  community  center,  like  a  court,  a  seat  of  govern- 
ment, or  an  army  headquarters,  may  be  temporarily  at 
any  other  place  in  the  community,  or  even  outside  the 
community.  (Wherever  the  people  or  a  representative 
group  of  them  come  together  for  a  specific  and  common 
purpose,  there  is  a  meeting  of  the  community  centeK  Ex- 
amples of  such  other  occasions  are  the  community  pic- 
nic, the  agricultural  fair,  the  farm  demonstration,  the 
xathletic  contest,  a  popular  wedding,  a  public  reception, 
^^herefore,  we  may  say  that  any  community  activity  in 
which  all  or  a  group  of  the  people  are  interested  may 
be  regarded  as  a  function  of  the  ccmimunity  center, 
whether  at  the  schoolhouse  or  elsewheim. 

This  classification  purposely  makes  prominent  the 
community  cooperative  idea  and  subordinates  every- 
thing else  to  this  idea.  For  after  all,  the  community 
center  is  the  working  together  of  a  group  of  people  who 
have  common  interest  in  a  definite  purpose,  ^s  Mr. 
Warren  Dunham  Foster  puts  it,  "  The  community  center 
is  an  idea,  not  a  place. 7 

Is  the  Community  Center  an  Organization  ?  We  are 
accustomed  to  think  of  the  community  center  in  terms 
of  organization  —  president,  vice  president,  secretary, 
treasurer,  committees,  constitution,  by-laws,  etc.  The 
tendency  of  this  work  has  probably  been  towards  over- 
organization  to  the  extent  that  the  organization  is  in 
danger  of  getting  in  the  way  of  real  progress  and  effective 
work.  The  community  center  is  not  necessarily  an  or- 
ganization at  all ;  yet  in  most  communities  a  mild  form 


62  The  Community  Center 

of  organization  may  be  most  effective.  Whether  an 
organization  should  at  first  be  effected,  and  what  kind 
of  organization  should  be  attempted,  depend  very  largely 
upon  the  previous  experiences  of  the  group  or  community 
concerned.  If  they  have  been  accustomed  to  work 
under  organization,  then  perhaps  one  were  best  even 
frc^  the  first,  but  usually  the  less  formal  the  better. 

[The  results  of  the  community  center  work  are  meas- 
xired  by  the  degree  of  responsiveness  which  comes  from 
the  people  themselves.  Let  the  people  first  get  the  habit 
of  coming  together  informally,  and  they  will  soon  begin 
to  devise  their  own  ways  and  means  of  doing  things. 
There  may  spring  up  a  number  of  organizations  at  the 
community  center,  the  latter  becoming  the  composite 
of  these  several  organizations.  And  if  allowed  to  work 
out  their  organizations  according  to  the  several  group 
interests,  each  will  feel  the  joy  of  having  a  part  in  achiev- 
ing whatever  good  results  may  follow.  Let  the  teacher 
assume  the  leadership  at  first,  and  succeeding  events 
will  in  all  probability  point  the  way  to  the  best  method 
of  organization./ 

The  writer  emphasizes  this  point  because  he  believes 
that  the  plan  just  suggested  will  prove  to  be  best  for  the 
success  of  the  community  center  work  in  general,  and 
more  particularly  because  he  believes  that  the  plan  will 
result  in  most  cases  in  developing  leaders  from  the  people 
themselves.  Having  in  mind  the  first  meeting,  let  us 
suppose  that  the  community  is  assembled  —  "for  or- 
ganization "  as  it  is  frequently  put.  Some  one  says, 
"  Whom  shall  we  have  for  president? "  Somebody 
else  is  likely  to  nominate  a  person  with  no  special  quali- 
fications for  such  responsibility.  The  mere  nomina- 
tion is  likely  to  mean  the  election  —  whether  a  prominent 


The  Community  Center  Idea  53 

citizen  or  a  wag  makes  little  difference  so  far  as  the  popu- 
lar vote  is  concerned.  Once  there  is  such  an  election, 
the  choice  is  pretty  sure  to  stand  for  that  year ;  and  if  a 
poor  choice  is  made,  the  hands  of  the  community  are 
completely  tied  by  the  blundering  inactivity  and  in- 
efficiency of  the  chosen  leader,  who  in  reality  may  not  be 
a  leader  at  all.  By  the  end  of  the  first  year,  if  not  several 
months  sooner,  the  community  center  is  dead  and  buried. 
There  is  no  surer  way  of  killing  such  an  undertaking  than 
by  failing  to  secure  from  the  very  first  the  most  com- 
petent leader,  or  leaders,  to  be  found  in  the  community. 
For  these  reasons  the  teacher  will  do  well  to  disregard 
formal  organization,  at  first  anyway,  and  assume  the 
leadership  himself.  The  experiences  of  a  few.  weeks  will 
reveal  to  him  whether  organization  should  have  promi- 
nence in  the  community  center.    > 

Summary  and  Definitions,  frhe  community  center, 
then,  is  not  a  place  nor  an  organization,  two  terms  often 
so  closely  associated  with  it  as  to  be  loosely  thought  of 
as  the  thing  itself.  The  people  of  a  community  or  neighbor- 
hood acting  together  in  projects  of  common  interest  to  the 
whole  community,  or  to  a  considerable  group  of  the  individuals 
composing  such  community,  whether  these  projects  be  for 
social  enjoyment,  entertainment,  intellectual  stimulus,  patri- 
otic demonstration,  or  for  constructive  plans  of  economic, 
civic,  social,  or  moral  improvement,  tend  to  satisfy  the  purposes 
of  the  community  center^  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
community  center  meets  a  real  social  need  in  country  com- 
munities. It  can  be  made  to  touch  the  lives  and  the 
activities  of  a.  community  in  many  ways,  which  vary 
according  to  local  conditions.  Yet  it  is  difficult  to  say 
just  what  it  is,  because  its  full  possibilities  have  not  yet 
been  discovered.    The  late  Dr.  Luther  H.  Gulick  de- 


54  The  Community  Center 

fined  the  community  center  in  a  rather  idealistic  way  as 
follows ; 

The  community  center  does  not  exist  to  improve  people,  although 
it  undoubtedly  does  this.  It  does  not  exist  to  make  them  more 
healthy,  though  it  may  accomplish  this  also.  It  exists  that  life 
may  flower  more  fully.  Life,  when  applied  to  human  beings,  means 
social  life.  Business  exists  to  furnish  living;  social  life  exists  to 
develop  friendships.  Therefore,  that  community  center  is  most 
successful  which  brings  people  together  in  such  a  way  that  social 
life,  friendship,  comradeship,  brotherly  love  is  most  fully  developed. 

The  main  question  is  not  so  much.  What  do  you  do  at  the  center? 
as,  Whom  are  you  with?  Casual  conversation  with  the  right  people 
may  be  of  greater  significance  than  any  course  of  improving  study. 

The  opportunity  of  the  center  is  that  it  may  bring  kindred  hearts 
together,  who,  under  the  stimulus  that  each  furnishes,  shall  bring 
out  the  finest  undiscovered  talent  and  beauty,  and  intensify  life 
in  its  inmost  shrine  —  that  of  personality. 

Mr.  John  Collier  defines  the  community  center  in  this 
way: 

Twenty-five  years  ago  Eugene  Haberman,  just  graduated  from 
Pennsylvania  University,  went  hunting  geological  specimens.  At 
Highlands,  North  Carolina,  then  forty  miles  from  any  railroad,  he 
suddenly  felt  a  passion  for  that  most  vague  and  most  real  thing 
known  to  men,  which  we  call  Home.  He  settled.  He  located  an 
experimental  school,  where  for  ten  years  he  worked  as  an  unknown 
forerunner  of  Professor  John  Dewey.  It  was  a  pay  school,  though 
Haberman  did  most  of  the  paying,  and  he  ran  a  country  printing- 
press  for  a  living.  He  built  on  the  doctrine  of  interest,  of  group 
efifort  and  self-building  through  communal  work.  He  exploited  the 
local  environment.  I  first  met  Haberman,  an  elderly  man  now, 
among  his  pupils  who  had  grown  to  be  men.  He  was  leading  a  dis- 
cussion of  national  economic  policies  from  where  he  sat  on  a  cracker 
box  in  the  general  store  of  Highlands.  That  store  was  a  community 
center,  and  Haberman's  school  was  a  community  center. 

Forty  miles  west  from  Haberman's  country,  a  North  Carolina 
school  teacher  said,  "Let  us  sing."  They  sang  from  the  old  square 
notes,  antiquated  seventy  years  ago.    This  is  the  hilly  country. 


The  Community  Center  Idea  55 

Spurs  of  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains  divide  cove  from  cove,  settle- 
ment from  settlement,  family  from  family.  I  must  be  brief  —  They 
sing  all  over  three  counties.  They  sing  from  funeral  to  funeral, 
from  wedding  to  wedding.  They  sing  at  invalids'  beds.  They  sing 
at  singing  conventions  which  last  for  days ;  camp  meetings  they  are, 
but  the  purpose  is  community  singing  by  competing  groups.  Neither 
church  nor  state  has  promoted  this  movement.  It  has  no  literature, 
no  officers,  no  budget,  no  building.  But  in  the  three  years  past  the 
singing  impulse  —  organized  singing  —  has  penetrated  all  the  valleys 
of  this  lonely  and  somber  mountain  land.  It  makes  me  think  — 
this  music  movement  which  hasn't  even  a  name  —  of  the  roseate  or 
golden  mists  that  one  sees  at  dawn  there,  linking  cove  with  cove  and 
intimating'  a  glory  yet  to  be. 
This  is  a  community  center. 

Let  us  close  the  chapter  by  allowing  Miss  Agnes  Moore, 
teacher  at  Rocky  Point,  North  Carolina,  for  the  year 
1916-1917,  to  tell  how  she  expressed  the  community 
center  idea : 

We  have  our  Woman's  Betterment  Association,  which  has  done 
more  for  our  school  than  any  other  factor.  Our  men  are  also  mem- 
bers. Early  in  the  fall  we  had  an  old-fashioned  "corn  husking" 
and  "candy  pulling,"  to  which  old  and  young  came.  We  have  a 
Sewing  Club  which  meets  at  the  schoolhouse  every  two  weeks.  This 
is  alternated  by  cooking  lessons.  Both  the  Farmers'  Alliance  and 
Union  hold  monthly  meetings  here.  On  Saturday  before  school 
opened,  the.  parents,  teachers,  and  pupils  met  and  cleaned  up  the 
schoolhouse  and  grounds  and  afterwards  enjoyed  a  good  picnic  dinner 
together.  All  enjoyed  a  community  Christmas  tree  before  the 
Christmas  holidays  began.  Then  came  Community  Service,  Bird, 
and  Arbor  Day.  We  had  about  one  hundred  workers  present.  We 
again  accomplished  much  needed  work  and  got  a  little  closer  to- 
gether. Next  came  Washington's  Birthday  celebration,  in  con- 
nection with  a  Valentine  Party.  Our  Farmers'  Institute  was  one  of 
the  best  ever  held  here.  We  have  also  given  two  plays  which  were 
well  attended.  On  the  first  of  February  we  organized  the  Athletic 
Club.  We  have  a  school  library  of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
volumes.    We  have  also  had  two  traveling  libraries  this  year.     The 


66  The  Community  Center 

community  has  free  access  to  both.    We  have  a  literary  society  in 
our  school.    Our  pupils  won  forty  premiums  at  our  county  fair. 


EXERCISES 

1.  Make  a  map  of  a  community  which  you  know,  or  of  the  one 
in  which  you  teach.  Let  your  map  be  a  picture  of  the  community, 
showing  the  roads,  streams,  and  hills,  the  location  of  the  school, 
churches,  and  homes,  and  other  relevant  features. 

2.  Is  the  school  the  natural  center  of  this  community:  (a)  from 
the  topographical  standpoint?  (h)  from  the  social  standpoint? 
Give  reasons  for  your  answers. 

3.  Study  the  habits  of  the  people  of  this  community :  (a)  Is  the 
community  a  well-defined  neighborhood?  (6)  For  what  reasons  do 
the  people  go  to  other  communities,  or  to  larger  centers?  (c)  If  you 
should  make  your  school  a  community  center,  would  you  thereby 
change  the  social  habits  of  the  people?  (d)  Would  the  school  as  a 
community  center  satisfy  the  social  needs  of  the  people? 

4.  Take  the  same  community  or  another  community  which  you 
know,  and  make  a  map  showing  the  location  of  the  homes  ten  years 
ago  and  of  the  homes  to-day.  If  any  families  have  moved  away  from 
the  community  in  the  past  ten  years,  find  out,  if  possible :  (a)  where 
they  have  gone;  (6)  why  they  left  the  community;  (c)  what 
success  they  have  had  in  their  new  habitat;  (d)  what  effect  their 
moving  away  has  had  on  the  community ;  i.e.  whether  other  families 
have  moved  into  the  community  to  take  their  places,  and  whether 
the  community  gained  or  lost  by  the  emigration  of  these  families, 
considered  from  social,  moral,  and  economic  standpoints. 

5.  Outline  a  program  covering  a  period  of  five  years  that  you 
would  follow  in  leading  the  people  of  the  community  studied  under 
exercise  1  to  renew  their  faith  in  the  farm  and  in  country  life. 


CHAPTER   IV 
THE   ENJOYMENT   OF   LEISURE 
1.  A  NEW  DEMAND  ON  THE  SCHOOLS 

For  a  good  many  years  we  have  stressed  the  importance 
of  training  children  for  the  vocations.  Recently  we  have 
come  to  recognize  the  fact  that  both  for  the  welfare  of 
the  individual  and  for  the  good  of  society  it  is  important 
also  to  train  children  for  the  enjoyment  of  their  leisure 
during  their  more  mature  years.  Dr.  W.  C.  Ruediger  has 
stated  this  phase  of  the  problem  clearly :  ^ 

The  idea  is  beginning  to  prevail  more  and  more  that  education 
should  function  not  only  in  the  home,  in  citizenship,  in  industry,  and 
in  business,  but  that  it  should  function  also  in  those  activities  that 
the  people  pursue  for  the  purpose  of  enjoyment.  This  is  manifesting 
itself  in  the  relatively  frequent  discussion  of  such  topics  as  education 
for  leisure,  education  for  play,  and  education  for  recreation.  It  is 
asserted  that  the  needs  and  the  opportunities  for  recreation  have 
changed  with  the  developments  in  other  phases  of  life,  that  their  needs 
can  no  longer  be  adequately  met  on  an  instructive  and  untutored 
plane,  and  that,  therefore,  the  school  should  make  equipment  for  the 
pursuits  of  leisure  one  of  its  specific  aims. 

The  Demand  Grows  Out  of  Changed  Economic  and 
Social  Conditions.  This  new  demand  upon  the  school 
is  to  a  very  large  extent  an  outgrowth  of  changing  social 
conditions,  particularly  those  conditions  surrounding 
labor.    When  the  laborer  toiled  from  twelve  to  sixteen 

1  See  chapter  on  "Avocational  Guidance"  in  The  Modern  High 
Schoolf  by  Charles  H.  Johnston  and  others. 

57 


58  The  Community  Center 

hours  a  day,  he  had  almost  no  leisure.  The  little  time 
he  had  off  duty  was  spent  mainly  in  eating  and  in  sleep. 
Now  the  working  day  allows  the  worker  several  hours 
for  the  enjoyment  of  leisure.  The  manner  of  spending 
this  leisure  time  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  both 
to  the  worker  himself  and  to  society.  For  the  old  adage, 
"  An  idle  brain  is  the  devil's  workshop,"  has  great  sig- 
nificance to  the  general  welfare  of  society.  A  great  many 
business  enterprises  have  shown  their  appreciation  of 
this  fact  by  providing  at  the  corporation's  expense  bath- 
ing facilities,  billiard  tables,  bowling  alleys,  baseball 
diamonds,  motion  picture  theaters,  and  other  forms  of 
recreation  and  amusement  for  their  employees. 

The  Farmer  Has  More  Leisure  But  Fewer  Oppor- 
tunities to  Enjoy  It.  In  the  country  districts  it  will  be 
found  that  the  people  have  even  more  leisure  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year  than  those  who  live  in  the  industrial 
centers,  but  that,  speaking  generally,  they  have  fewer 
opportunities  for  its  enjoyment.  Most  farmers  are  very 
busy  during  the  crop  seasons,  but  they  are  usually  less 
busy  during  the  winter  months.  In  Denmark  and  some 
other  foreign  countries  these  winter  months  are  utilized 
by  the  farmers  in  attending  continuation  schools  of 
agriculture.  In  the  United  States,  however,  we  have 
not  yet  gone  so  far  in  this  movement,  although  some  of 
our  agricultural  colleges  and  departments  of  agriculture 
in  our  state  universities  offer  short  courses  in  agriculture 
and  related  subjects  in  the  winter  months.  In  many  rural 
commimities  the  people  do  not  read  a  great  deal,  mainly 
because  they  have  very  little  reading  matter  available. 
History,  fiction,  literatm'e,  and  economics  may  not  in- 
terest some  of  them,  largely  because  their  training  in 
the  schools  and  their  subsequent  experiences  in  life  have 


The  Enjoyment  of  Leisure  59 

not  been  such  as  to  arouse  their  interest  in  these  subjects. 
The  same  is  true  in  respect  to  their  interest  in  music, 
art,  nature,  and  the  sciences.  Therefore,  since  proper 
forms  of  amusement  are  not  always  easily  available  and 
since  these  people  have  not  all  been  trained  in  convenient 
forms  of  amusement,  their  lives  are  necessarily  somewhat 
monotonous  and  oftentimes  devoid  of  the  means  of 
gratifying  the  higher  sentiments,  feelings,  and  emotions. 
About  the  only  means  of  social  intercourse  that  many 
rural  communities  have  may  be  summarized  briefly  as 
follows :  an  occasional  entertainment  at  the  schoolhouse, 
an  occasional  party  or  dance,  and  the  associations  of 
men  about  the  country  stores  and  blacksmith  shop. 
Farm  women  have,  as  a  rule,  less  leisure  than  men,  and 
generally  fewer  opportunities  to  enjoy  that  which  they 
have. 

Dangers  of  Leisure  without  Opportunities  to  Enjoy  It. 
The  situation  which  has  just  been  described  may  be  a 
matter  of  grave  consequence  to  our  national  welfare. 
Mr.  Harold  W.  Foght  offers  the  following  comment : 

Systematic  labor  must  always  react  in  organized  recreation.  That 
is  to  say,  whenever  the  human  being  is  tied  down  to  hours  of  self- 
repression,  his  body  craves  a  certain  amount  of  relaxation  to  be 
sought  in  play  or  amusement  of  some  sort.  If  this  is  wisely  provided, 
all  goes  well ;  if  ignored  as  unnecessary  and  wasteful,  the  person  af- 
fected will  be  sure  to  seek  relief  or  an  outlet  for  his  pent-up  desires 
in  questionable  ways  and  places. 

The  same  idea  is  expressed  by  Dr.  Eugene  Lyman 
Fisk: 

A  large  part  of  our  moral  derelictions  is  due  to  an  unbalanced  life 
from  which  amusements  are  largely  omitted.  The  "bad  boy"  in 
the  city  streets  is  usually  following  his  instinct  for  amusement,  of 
which  the  lack  of  playgrounds  has  deprived  him.     Dissipation  of 


60  The  Community  Center 

many  kinds  is  explained  in  a  similar  way.  It  is  largely  because 
workmen  are  so  often  drudges  and  lack  normal  recreations  that  they 
seek  amusement  in  the  concentrated  form  they  find  in  gambling 
places,  dives,  and  dance  halls. 

The  Vocational  Ideal  versus  the  Cultural  Ideal.  In 
a  democratic  society  such  as  ours  neither  all-cultural 
nor  all-vocational  training  will  meet  the  new  demands 
put  upon  the  schools.  Excepting  the  few  idle  rich,  all 
will  work.  Our  problem  is,  therefore,  a  twofold  one: 
first,  to  find  that  golden  mean  between  the  strictly  voca- 
tional ideal  and  the  purely  cultural  ideal;  and,  second, 
to  train  the  children  while  in  school  in  the  best  ways  of 
enjoying  their  leisure  through  the  working  period  of  their 
lives.  To  this  end  the  school  must  anticipate  the  adult 
experiences  of  the  children  and  project  its  activities  into 
these  experiences.  For,  we  must  remember,  the  dangers 
which  lurk  in  the  pathways  of  children  lie  mainly  beyond 
the  common  school  age.  Later,  they  will  be  thrown  upon 
their  own  resources  in  a  society  which  will  pay  little 
attention  to  them  as  individuals  unless  they  happen  to 
violate  its  code,  or  to  become  either  famous  or  notorious. 
The  efficiency  both  of  the  home  and  of  the  school  will  be 
tested  by  the  preparation  which  the  children  have  had 
for  taking  their  places  in  that  society  and  finding  in  it  the 
means  of  living  honorable,  happy,  and  useful  lives. 

2.   TRAINING  CHILDREN  FOR  THE  ENJOYMENT  OF  LEISURE 

The  Arousing  of  Personal  Interests.  The  first  con- 
sideration in  training  for  the  enjoyment  of  leisure  is  the 
arousing  of  personal  interests  that  will  be  carried  over 
from  the  school  days  into  the  active  pursuits  of  life.  The 
mere  completion  of  the  usual  course  of  study  in  the  usual 


The  Enjojrment  of  Leisure  61 

way  has  been  found  not  very  productive  in  arousing  such 
personal  interests.  In  spite  of  all  that  has  been  said  and 
done  in  the  way  of  professional  training  of  teachers,  the 
class  work  as  it  is  usually  conducted  does  not  arouse  such 
an  interest  in  literature,  science,  and  nature  as  will  hold 
the  pupil's  attention  after  he  leaves  school.  This,  of 
course,  is  mainly  a  problem  of  pedagogy  and  need  not  be 
discussed  at  length  in  this  connection.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
therefore,  that  more  conscious  effort  must  be  made  by 
the  teachers  in  arousing  personal  interests  that  will  endure, 
if  we  would  enable  the  pupil  to  enjoy  his  future  leisure. 

Personal  Interest  in  Current  Affairs.  Of  first  impor- 
tance, perhaps,  is  a  personal  interest  in  current  affairs. 
Some  time  ago  the  writer  entered  a  schoolroom  in  the 
country,  having  with  him  a  morning  paper.  He  listened 
to  a  sixth  grade  class  reading.  He  was  pleased  with 
their  reading  of  the  lesson  in  the  book.  After  the  class 
exercise,  he  handed  one  of  the  pupils  the  morning  paper 
and  asked  him  to  read  a  paragraph  relative  to  the  World 
War.  To  the  writer's  surprise,  the  pupil  could  scarcely 
read  the  paragraph.  He  failed  in  correctly  pronounc- 
ing the  words  and  in  getting  the  meaning  of  the  news 
item.  The  paper  was  then  passed  to  other  members 
of  the  class  with  similar  results.  Upon  questioning 
the  class,  it  was  found  that  they  had  not  been  following 
even  the  chief  events  of  the  war  and  that  they  knew 
very  little  about  it.  They  had  a  very  hazy  idea  of  the 
geography  involved,  although  they  were  studying  at 
the  time  both  history  and  geography.  When  they  were 
asked,  for  example,  with  what  countries  the  United  States 
was  at  war,  they  gave  the  following :  Germany,  France, 
England,  Japan,  British,  Turkey,  Spain.  These  children 
had  a  vague  idea  that  somewhere  in  the  world  a  war  was 


62  The  Community  Center 

in  progress  and  that  the  United  States  had  some  part 
in  it.  On  visiting  other  schools  since  then,  the  writer 
has  confirmed  his  opinion  that  many  rural  school  children, 
even  in  the  upper  grades,  do  not  read  newspapers  or 
magazines  to  any  great  extent,  or  if  they  do,  with  but 
faint  understanding.  Yet  through  such  reading,  the 
teacher  has  one  of  the  very  best  opportunities  to  arouse 
a  personal  interest  that  will  abide  with  the  children 
through  life. 

Personal  Interest  in  Magazines.  One  step  further 
in  the  promotion  of  personal  interest  in  current  affairs 
is  gained  by  a  study  of  the  subject  matter  of  our  best 
magazines.  These  open  up  the  whole  field  of  politics, 
current  literature,  social  problems,  human  welfare, 
science,  fiction,  as  well  as  a  more  elaborate  .treatment 
of  important  national  and  world  events.  The  magazine 
is  a  sort  of  symposium  of  current  human  life  and  thought 
that  introduces  the  youth  to  the  world  of  to-day  and 
creates  within  him  interests  which  he  may  care  to  pursue 
through  his  whole  life.  A  careful  reading  of  a  half  dozen 
of  our  best  magazines  enables  one  to  discuss  intelligently 
the  affairs  that  grip  the  attention  of  his  contemporaries 
throughout  the  world.  We  are  convinced  that  a  personal 
interest  of  this  sort  would  help  somewhat  in  keeping 
many  a  boy  and  man  contented  on  the  farm. 

Personal  Interest  in  Books.  Reading  magazines  leads 
directly  to  a  permanent  personal  interest  in  current 
fiction.  If  one's  interest  has  been  aroused  in  social, 
economic,  and  historical  problems,  he  will  be  inclined  also 
to  read  books  of  more  serious  thought  on  these  problems. 
His  reading  may  also  develop  an  interest  in  highly  special- 
ized technical  reading  matter.  His  personal  bent  and 
his  aptitude  of  mind  will,  of  course,  determine  both  the 


The  Enjoyment  of  Leisure  63 

kind  and  the  extent  of  such  interests.  If  the  teacher 
can  do  nothing  more  towards  training  for  the  enjoyment 
of  leisure  than  to  open  up  to  the  children  the  avenues 
leading  to  several  fields  of  reading  material,  he  will  have 
accomplished  a  great  deal;  for  once  a  child's  interests 
are  aroused  to  this  extent,  he  will  of  his  own  accord  dis- 
cover the  kind  of  reading  matter  that  best  fits  his  personal 
inclinations. 

Personal  Interest  in  the  Drama  and  in  Music  and  Art. 
To  arouse  the  interest  of  pupils  in  the  drama  or  in  music 
or  art  may  be  a  more  difficult  task  than  in  the  case  of 
reading,  for  the  reason  that  the  teacher  may  have  neither 
the  materials  nor  the  facilities  at  hand  for  this  purpose. 
Still,  he  has  some  opportunities  within  his  reach.  It  is 
possible,  for  example,  to  raise  by  public  entertainments 
or  by  public  subscriptions  sufficient  money  to  purchase 
a  few  good  reproductions  of  works  of  art,  which  the  chil- 
dren may  learn  to  appreciate  through  the  personal 
instruction  of  the  teacher  and  from  manuals  of  art.  If 
just  enough  appreciation  can  be  aroused  to  create  in  the 
children  a  desire  to  see  and  to  learn  more,  they  will  find 
later  a  way  to  satisfy  that  desire.  By  means  of  the 
victrola,  public  concerts,  etc.,  they  may  likewise  develop 
a  taste  for  good  music  that  will  lead  them  on  to  its  further 
enjoyment.  The  motion  picture  machine,  which  is  now 
finding  its  way  into  some  rural  districts,  is  capable  of 
giving  to  the  children  and  to  their  parents  some  of  the 
best  in  drama.  Furthermore,  the  study  of  a  few  dramas 
in  class  and  the  amateur  performance  of  the  easier  ones 
by  the  children  themselves  may  create  in  them  a  desire 
for  the  best  in  dramatization.  The  great  difficulty 
with  adults  is  that  so  many  of  us  do  not  know  what  is 
within  our  reach.    We  may  be  in  a  city  where  a  great 


64  The  Community  Center 

masterpiece  of  art  is  being  exhibited,  where  a  noted  musi- 
cian is  appearing,  or  where  a  great  play  is  being  produced, 
without  realizing  the  significance  of  such  opportunity. 
That  is  because  our  personal  interests  in  these  things 
have  never  been  aroused.  Just  enough  knowledge  of 
these  fine  treasures  to  arouse  the  interest  and  to  cause  us 
to  anticipate  the  significance  of  such  opportunities  may 
put  us  in  the  way  of  enjoying  some  of  the  best  things 
in  the  world. 

To  this  end  we  may  learn  much  from  what  some  of 
the  European  countries  have  accomplished.  In  Copen- 
hagen there  is  a  society  which  each  year  organizes  excur- 
sions among  country  children  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
them  to  the  city.  The  railroads  join  in  this  movement 
by  granting  nominal  rates  to  the  excursionists.  At  such 
times  the  national  theater  makes  special  efforts  to  produce 
the  most  appropriate  plays  for  the  children  and  admits 
them  at  nominal  rates.  They  are  guided  through  the 
art  galleries,  the  museums,  and  the  various  other  places 
of  interest  in  the  city.  An  excursion  of  this  kind  may  be 
the  means  of  brightening  the  life  of  the  child,  and  the 
feeling  that  he  has  already  seen  and  to  some  extent  ex- 
perienced the  best  that  the  city  affords  may  neutralize 
somewhat  any  craving  that  he  may  have  to  live  in  the 
city. 

Personal  Interest  in  Nature.  The  rural  school  has 
special  advantages  for  training  children  in  the  enjoyment 
of  nature.  Such  training  can  be  done  best  through  instruc- 
tion in  elementary  science.  Unfortunately,  a  great  deal 
of  our  work  in  the  elementary  sciences  is  so  very  bookish 
and  so  hopelessly  formal  that  it  has  become  merely  so 
much  work  to  be  done  for  a  passing  mark.  In  this 
country,  nature  study  has,  however,  accomplished  some- 


The  Enjojrment  of  Leisure  65 

thing  in  helping  children  to  appreciate  the  beauties  and 
the  physical  phenomena  of  their  immediate  surroundings. 
Dr.  L.  H.  Bailey  once  remarked,  "  The  happiness  of  the 
ignorant  man  is  largely  of  physical  pleasures;  that  of 
the  educated  man  is  of  intellectual  pleasures."  The 
opportunity  of  the  school  is  that  of  arousing  in  the  chil- 
dren a  personal  interest  in  objects  of  beauty  and  value 
about  them,  so  that  they  may  leave  school  capable  of 
enjoying  more  and  more  of  the  beauties  and  the  secrets 
of  nature. 

Personal  Interest  in  Avocations.  One  duty  of  the 
school  is  to  help  everybody  to  have  a  hobby,  in  the  sense 
of  an  avocation,  as  a  means  of  enjoying  his  leisure.  One 
may  enjoy  his  leisure  by  mere  diversions.  If  he  lives 
in  the  city,  he  may  go  to  a  baseball  game  to-day,  to  a 
motion  picture  show  to-morrow,  and  to  something  else 
next  day;  or  if  he  lives  in  the  country,  he  may  spend 
his  only  day  off  in  the  week  at  the  country  store  or  black- 
smith shop,  or  he  may  go  hunting  or  fishing.  Such 
activities  may  be  valuable  as  pastimes,  but  they  do  not 
result  from  any  plan  or  systematic  purpose.  The  person 
who  enjoys  his  leisure  in  such  ways  does  just  what  oppor- 
tunity affords  him  or  his  fancy  prompts.  For  such  diver- 
sions no  special  training  is  necessary.  A  higher  degree 
of  enjoyment  is  found  in  the  activities  which  one  pursues 
for  the  sake  of  culture.  Reading  newspapers,  magazines, 
and  books,  visiting  art  galleries  or  museums,  enjoying 
the  beauties  of  nature,  etc.,  have  a  cultural  value,  and 
at  the  same  time  they  provide  a  means  of  the  highest 
personal  enjoyment. 

If  the  pursuit  of  any  of  the  pleasures  just  enumerated 
goes  far  enough  to  result  in  constructive  thinking  and 
expression,  then  we  reach  the  plane  of  pursuing  an  avoca- 


66  The  Community  Center 

tion  for  the  enjoyment  of  leisure.  The  teacher  may 
find  many  opportunities  for  encouraging  and  directing 
children  in  avocational  pursuits.  For  example,  the 
child  who  shows  special  talent  in  music,  art,  dramatics, 
or  science  should  be  encouraged  to  pursue  such  study  to 
the  extent  of  expression,  if  not,  indeed,  of  production. 
For  we  should  bear  in  mind  that  we  have  before  us  the 
task  of  developing  a  rural  civilization  that  will  really 
and  truly  express  the  thoughts,  the  feelings,  the  lives, 
and  the  institutions  of  rural  people  living  under  rural 
conditions;  that  city  ideals,  city  institutions,  and  city 
culture  will  never  be  successfully  transplanted  into  the 
country;  and  that  rural  ideals,  institutions,  and  culture 
must  eventually  spring  from  among  the  country  people 
themselves.  Here,  then,  we  certainly  find  a  rich  field  for 
avocational  training. 

Pursuant  to  this  lead  in  creative  work  come  oppor- 
tunities for  leadership  in  the  church,  in  the  Sunday  School, 
in  politics,  and  in  various  kinds  of  social  service,  training 
for  all  of  which  may  at  least  be  well  begun  in  the  schools. 

Within  the  range  of  possibility  also  are  opportunities 
for  training  young  farmers  to  specialize  along  lines  con- 
nected with  general  farming,  poultry  raising,  horse,  cattle, 
and  pig  breeding,  the  growing  of  fancy  vegetables,  the 
producing  of  rare  and  beautiful  flowers.  Such  avoca- 
tions may  be  the  outgrowth  of  the  agricultural  club  work 
being  done  now  in  many  rural  communities. 

It  is  related  that  Robert  Browning  and  his  wife.  Lord 
and  Lady  Tennyson,  Dante  Gabriel  Rossetti,  and  William 
Rossetti  were  gathered  together  one  evening  in  London. 
Tennyson  had  just  published  Maud,  and  Browning  the 
two  volumes  called  Men  and  Women,  Each  poet  was 
invited  to  read  from  his  new  work.    Tennyson  chanted 


The  Enjojmient  of  Leisure  67 

from  Maud,  the  tears  running  down  his  cheeks,  and  Brown- 
ing then  read  from  Fra  Lippo  Lippi.  Rossetti  made  a 
pen-and-ink  sketch  of  Tennyson  while  the  latter  was 
reading.  Here  was  an  instance  of  a  group  of  people 
whose  lives  had  been  trained  to  the  keenest  possible 
intellectual  enjoyment.  At  the  other  extreme,  where 
few  personal  interests  have  been  aroused,  we  may  note 
men  and  boys  loafing  about  the  stores  or  the  railroad 
stations,  or  sitting  around  listlessly,  uninterested  in 
anything,  knowing  not  what  to  do  with  themselves.  To 
some,  riding  on  a  train,  or  waiting  for  one,  is  a  bore,  while 
to  others  the  time  thus  spent  is  an  opportunity  for  read- 
ing, for  conversation  with  friends,  or  for  studying  and 
enjoying  the  country  through  which  they  are  traveling. 
To  some  the  Sabbath  is  the  longest  day  in  the  week,  while 
to  others  it  is  the  most  enjoyable.  To  the  young  farmer 
who  has  become  interested  in  some  line  of  study  or  read- 
ing, the  winter  months  are  a  time  of  rest  and  enjoyment 
after  the  more  strenuous  crop  seasons,  while  to  another 
the  same  time  may  be  one  of  depression,  restlessness,  and 
discontent  with  country  life.  If  the  rural  school  can 
devise  means  of  developing  in  the  children  some  strong 
personal  interests  which  will  occupy  their  leisure  time 
then  and  in  the  future,  it  will  have  done  a  great  deal 
in  the  solution  of  the  rural  life  problem. 

3.  LEADING  ADULTS  TO  THE  ENJOYMENT  OF  LEISURE 

What  has  been  said  in  the  foregoing  paragraphs  of 
this  chapter  relates  mainly  to  the  school's  opportunity  for 
the  training  of  children  and  youths  in  the  enjoyment  of 
their  leisure  through  the  adult  period  of  their  lives.  It  is 
a  comparatively  new  idea  in  our  schemes  of  education. 


68  The  Community  Center 

It  is  suggestive  of  what  most  of  us  grown-ups  have  missed 
by  having  lived  a  bit  too  early  to  have  enjoyed  such  rare 
educational  advantages.  We  come  now  to  the  consider- 
ation of  some  things  that  may  be  done  to  alleviate  our 
misfortune  in  this  respect. 

The  Community  Center  May  Lead  in  the  Enjojrment  of 
Leisure.  As  has  already  been  intimated,  rural  people 
in  some  communities  are  more  or  less  isolated.  The 
custom  of  visiting  among  the  families  of  a  neighborhood 
las  disappeared  to  some  extent  in  many  communities, 
'he  means  once  available  in  rural  communities  for 
sS<:iial  intercourse,  such  as  school  literaries,  spelling 
bees,  etc.,  have  likewise  to  some  extent  disappeared. 
As  a  result  of  the  many  changes  that  have  come  about  in 
rural  communities,  the  people  find  there  too  few  oppor- 
tunities to  enjoy  their  leisure.  Yet  experience  with  the 
rural  community  center  in  many  states  has  shown  con- 
clusively that  it  can  be  made  a  means  of  arousing  new! 
interests  in  individuals  and  of  reviving  and  strength- 
ening other  interests  that  have  become  dormant.  The 
community  center,  in  leading  and  directing  adults  to 
an  enjoyment  of  their  leisure,  may  make  up  to  them 
what  they  lacked  in  their  school  davs,  thus  becoming 
a  sort  of  "  social  continuation  school.''^ 

The  Community  Center  Must  Have  Permanent  Values. 
In  so  far  as  the  mere  enjoyment  of  leisure  is  concerned, 
the  community  center  may  be  regarded  as  an  end  in 
itself.  In  many  individual  cases  such  enjoyment  may 
go  no  farther  than  the  social  features  of  the  meetings. 
In  fact,  in  many  communities  where  capable  leadership 
is  wanting,  the  social  feature  may  be  the  limitation  of 
the  community  center  activities. 

But  such  commimity  centers  are  sure  to  die  out  sooner 


The  Enjoyment  of  Leisure  69 

or  later.  Upon  this  point  Mr.  W.  E.  Larson,  State  Super- 
visor of  Rural  Schools  of  Wisconsin,  has  commented  as 
follows : 

In  all  these  sodal  and  civic  movements  we  should  realize  that 
permanent  impro^hients  are  usually  of  gradual  growth.  It  is  not 
always  the  spectacular  that  is  the  lasting.  The  work  should  have 
something  of  real  merit  in  connection  with  it.  The  people  should 
feel  as  they  are  meeting  together  that  they  are  getting  something 
that  is  of  permanent  value  to  them  in  their  lives.  If  this  movement 
is  simply  a  getting  together  for  the  purpose  of  having  a  good  time, 
it  usually  falls  to  pieces  after  a  short  period.  The  social  feature 
should  receive  recognition,  but  it  should  not  be  the  only  thing  to 
consider.  For  this  reason,  I  think  the  term  "social  center"  is  some- 
times misleading.  Some  people  who  have  been  interested  in  this 
movement  and,  in  fact,  leaders,  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  if 
they  can  simply  get  the  people  together  and  give  them  a  good  time, 
that  is  all  that  is  necessary.  Our  experience  in  this  state  has  shown 
that  this  is  a  great  mistake.  In  fact,  if  the  people  do  get  interested 
for  a  short  time  in  a  social  feature  and  later  the  work  dies  down, 
it  is  much  more  difficult  to  get  it  started  again. 

Growth  of  the  Community  Center.  'As  the  community 
center  work  progresses,  it  should  be  so  broadened  in  its 
scope  that  it  will  have  something  of  interest  for  every 
individual/as  well  as  a  community  improvement  program 
which  will  interest  the  community  as  a  whole.  \  It  should 
embrace  such  forms  of  wholesome  recreation  as  are  best 
adapted'  to  the  community  conditions,  including  games, 
athletic  contests,  entertainments,  etc.  It  should  awaken 
a  healthy  interest  in  current  events,  resulting  in  public 
discussions  of  political,  economic,  social,  and  ethical 
questions/  In  due  time,  it  should  evolve  broad  construc- 
tive programs  of  community  improvement  —  improve- 
ments of  agriculture,  roads,  schools,  homes,  churches, 
social  life  —  each,  perhaps,  championed  and  directed 
by    appropriate    organizations    within    the    community 


70  The  Community  Center 

center.  The  number  and  the  scope  of  these  several 
community  activities  will  depend,  of  course,  upon  the 
conditions  found  in  a  given  community,  upon  the  intelli- 
gence and  the  past  experiences  of  the  people,  and  partic- 
ularly upon  the  quality  of  the  leadership  available.  Any 
teacher,  however,  if  he  has  the  courage,  can  find  among 
so  many  possible  community  activities  a  sufficient  variety 
to  create  and  to  maintain  the  interest  of  the  people  in 
the  community  center.  Let  us  remember  that  the  people 
will  enjoy  public  discussions  and  the  carrying  out  of  con- 
structive community  programs,  once  they  have  become 
interested  in  these  activities,  fully  as  much  as  they  will 
enjoy  merely  social  occasions. 

EXERCISES 

1.  In  the  rural  community  which  you  know  best,  what  means 
do  the  people  have  of  enjoying  their  leisure?  What  recent  changes 
in  social  or  economical  conditions  have  conspired  to  make  the  problem 
of  the  enjoyment  of  leisure  an  intricate  factor  in  the  social  problem 
of  that  community? 

2.  Contrast  the  facilities  for  the  enjoyment  of  leisure  in  the 
average  city  with  those  of  the  average  rural  community.  Are  the 
differences  noted  to  the  advantage  or  the  disadvantage  of  the  rural 
community? 

3.  Enumerate  the  opportunities  the  rural  teacher  has  for  provid- 
ing means  of  enjoyment  of  leisure  among  farmer  folk.  To  what 
extent  has  the  average  rural  teacher  met  these  opportunities  in  the 
past? 

4.  Is  it  true  that  the  farmer  has  more  leisure  at  his  disposal  than 
the  shop  worker? 

5.  In  the  community  selected  under  exercise  1,  what  evil  effects 
have  you  noted  as  resulting  from  lack  of  facilities  for  the  enjoyment 
of  leisure  ? 

6.  To  what  extent  does  the  average  rural  school  train  children 
for  the  enjoyment  of  leisure  resulting  from  their  "personal  interests" 
discussed  in  the  text? 


CHAPTER  V 

RECREATION 

What  is  Recreation  ?  First  we  should  have  a  common 
understanding  of  the  meaning  of  the  term  ''recreation." 
There  will  be  differences  of  opinion,  to  be  sure.  But  let 
us  agree  for  our  immediate  purpose  that  any  activity, 
whether  physical  or  mental^  which  affords  us  harmless 
enjoyment  of  our  leisure,  is  recreation.  In  the  home  we 
may  find  recreation  in  conversation,  in  reading,  or  in  some 
avocation.  In  the  cities  we  may  find  recreation  outside 
the  home  at  the  theater,  the  movies,  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  the  club  rooms,  the  lodge  halls. 
Some  of  these  forms  of  recreation  are  commercial  proposi- 
tions —  if  not  for  profit,  then  for  self-support.  In  country 
districts  the  various  forms  of  recreation  outside  the  home 
are  generally  provided  for  recreation's  own  sake,  and  at 
small  expense. 

1.   NEED   OF  RECREATION   IN   RURAL   COMMUNITIES 

Need  of  Social  and  Mental  Recreation  in  the  Country. 
Our  failure  to  give  proper  attention  to  recreation  in  rural 
communities  is  perhaps  due  in  part  to  the  general  miscon- 
ception that  rural  folk  do  not  need  recreation,  vf  all 
the  people  in  the  world  there  is  no  class  which  needs  rec- 
reation more  than  agricultural  workers^ not  physical 
exercise,  but  social  and  mental  recreation./ 

We  do  not  refer  to  the  suburban  home  where  the  whole 
faraily  may  go  to  the  city  by  the  interurban  or  by  auto- 

71 


72  The  Community  Center 

mobile  for  their  recreation ;  nor  to  the  summer  homes  of 
well-to-do  city  folk,  who  go  to  the  country  only  to  rest 
from  their  social  and  business  activities.  We  refer  more 
especially  to  those  people  who  live  out  in  the  open  coun- 
try, far  from  a  railroad,  and  where  the  public  highways 
are  impassable  most  of  the  year  —  to  those  who  live  and 
toil  in  the  country. 

During  the  growing  and  harvesting  seasons  the  farmers' 
work  is  never  done;  but,  during  the  winter  months, 
the  father  and  older  sons  oftentimes  find  some  leisure 
after  they  have  finished  the  daily  chores.  The  work 
of  the  mother  and  older  daughters,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  one  unending  round  throughout  the  year  of  cooking, 
dish-washing,  sweeping,  mending,  etc.  Now,  what  op- 
portunity have  these  people  for  social  and  mental  recrea- 
tion either  to  relieve  the  monotony  or  to  occupy  their 
spare  time? 

What  Rural  Surveys  Show.  Surveys  ^  in  representa- 
tive communities  (area  of  each  community  averaging 
fifty-four  square  miles)  in  central  Illinois  record  the 
following  observations : 

(in  making  a  study  of  the  recreations  and  amusements  in  the  terri- 
tory covered  it  was  found  that  in  fifty-eight  per  cent  of  the  communi- 
ties there  \^  absolutely  nothing  in  the  way  of  amusement  and  recre- 
ational life.y  To  supply  this  natural  demand  the  young  people  make 
use  of  the'  Interurban,  going  to  the  neighboring  cities  of  Danville, 
Bloomington,  Decatur,  and  Springfield  for  their  play  and  goodfellow- 
ship,  sometimes  securing  it  in  ways  which  are  neither  helpful  nor 
wholesome.  In  sixty-three  per  cent  of  the  communities  the  churches 
provide  some  social  life,  mostly  for  members  only.  Nearly  all  of 
these  affairs  have  on  them  the  dollar  mark,  as  though  created  for 

1  By  Rev.  Warren  H.  Wilson,  Department  of  Church  and  Country 
Life,  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States 


Recreation  73 

revenue  only.  Few  outsiders  attend  these  functions.  In  thirty- 
seven  per  cent  of  these  communities  there  is  not  even  this  small 
provision  for  the  social  life  of  the  people  provided  by  the  churches. 

In  the  way  of  commendable  recreation  and  amusement  provided 
by  other  agencies  than  the  church,  fifteen  communities  have  lecture 
courses,  with  about  five  numbers  each  winter.  These  are  promoted 
by  business  men.  Four  have  Chautauquas  in  summer,  from  one  to 
two  weeks,  and  eighteen  have  "picture  shows"  of  a  reasonably  high 
grade  going  on  throughout  the  year.  In  twenty-seven  communities 
there  are  literary  clubs  of  various  kinds,  all  of  them  confined  to  women. 
Although  all  of  the  communities  are  in  agricultural  districts,  only 
six  have  any  kind  of  club  or  organization  which  might  be  called  agri- 
cultural. Cooperation  or  fellowship  among  farmers  seems  to  be 
confined  exclusively  to  the  grain  elevators,  ten  communities  having 
farmers'  elevators  whose  shares  are  owned  by  the  farmers  them- 
selves, and  to  the  yearly  farmers*  institute  of  one  or  two  days  held 
in  the  country  town. 

The  grade  of  public  dances  is  low,  usually  showing  immoral  tend- 
encies. A  hall  is  rented  by  individuals  or  clubs  and  everybody  in- 
vited to  the  dance.  In  some  places  dancing  is  kept  up  all  night,  and 
often  ends  in  a  riot.  This  is  especially  true  in  mining  towns,  where 
American  young  people  are  strongly  influenced  by  the  license  of  an 
alien  population. 

In  another  survey  by  this  board,  of  three  counties 
in  northeast  Missouri,  covering  a  total  area  of  1719 
square  miles,  we  find  a  similar  report : 

The  recreation  facilities  in  the  rural  districts  are  sadly  deficient. 
The  average  township  affords  a  little  Sunday  baseball  at  some  village, 
an  occasional  dance  at  some  home  or  in  a  hall,  three  or  four  picnics 
a  summer,  two  or  three  ice-cream  socials  given  by  the  churches,  one 
pool  room,  and  one  or  two  school  entertainments  a  year.  These 
are  the  only  recreations  offered  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  families  in 
a  given  year.  The  recreations  provided  by  the  church,  the  school, 
and  the  lodge  are  provided  not  for  the  sake  of  the  community  so 
much  as  for  filling  their  own  treasuries.  Nowhere  throughout  the 
country  districts  is  there  to  be  found  any  organization  which  con- 
siders itself  obligated  to  offer  clean,  wholesome  recreation  for  young 
people  or  old. 


74  The  Community  Center 

What  Rural  People  Themselves  Say.  In  order  to  know 
how  best  to  employ  the  funds  made  available  by  the  Smith- 
Lever  Act,  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture 
sent  out  an  inquiry  to  the  wives  of  fifty-five  thousand 
rural  crop  correspondents.  In  their  replies,  the  isolation 
of  farm  women  and  the  lack  of  opportunities  for  recrea- 
tion are  most  prominent. 

One  woman  writes : 

In  all  these  years  I  have  never  had  a  vacation,  never  belonged  to 
a  club  or  any  organization,  and  have  never  been  to  church  or  to  an 
entertainment ;  had  no  time  to  visit  a  neighbor  —  just  worked  early 
and  late,  with  a  snatch  for  reading  between.  Do  you  wonder  we 
get  lonely  and  discouraged  and  are  ignorant  and  uncultured,  for  our 
city  cousins  to  make  fun  over,  and  how  we  long  to  get  away  from  the 
farm  for  good  ? 

Another  tells  an  interesting  and  very  significant  story : 

I  know  a  lady  who  was  raised  on  a  farm,  married,  and  went  to 
town  to  live.  One  very  cold  winter,  knowing  both  she  and  her  babies 
had  gone  without  sufficient  food  and  clothing,  I  said  to  her:  "Don't 
you  think  you  would  stand  a  better  chance  of  getting  a  living  in  the 
country?"  "I  might,"  she  said,  "but  I  would  rather  go  hungry 
half  the  time  than  go  back  to  the  farm,"  and  she  surely  meant  it, 
for  I  know  for  a  fact  that  she  did  just  about  that.  Her  case  is  only 
one  of  thousands. 

Some  of  these  correspondents  offer  some  excellent 
suggestions  upon  the  work  of  the  community  center. 
A  farmer's  wife  in  Indiana  said: 

If  the  department  could  help  promote  a  more  friendly  social 
feeling  and  encourage  the  reading  of  good  books,  papers,  and  maga- 
zines, life  in  the  rural  sections  would  be  made  brighter  and  the  farm 
mother  and  daughter  be  made  more  satisfied. 

One  man,  doubtless  overlooking  the  possibilities  of 
the  rural  school,  offered  the  following  suggestion : 


Recreation  75 

Along  the  line  of  improving  conditions  in  the  country  and  thereby- 
making  it  more  pleasant  for  people  living  on  farms,  I  would  suggest 
that  what  might  be  called  a  "sociable  house"  be  erected,  that  could 
be  of  suflEicient  capacity  to  accommodate  the  residents  of  a  certain 
neighborhood.  It  would  be  my  idea  that  the  building  should  be 
built  with  a  view  to  using  it  for  singing  school,  lectures,  ice-cream 
socials,  dances,  concerts,  and  other  entertainments  of  like  nature 
which  would  interest  the  young  people  as  well  as  the  older  ones. 
It  would  also  give  them  something  to  look  forward  to  other  than 
they  are  used  to  now.  Church  governments,  school  trustees,  and 
grange  building  managers  in  most  instances  have  somewhat  severe 
ideas  of  entertainment,  and  consequently  the  young  people  have 
very  little  latitude  in  the  way  of  enjoyment.  I  think  you  will  under- 
stand that  a  building  along  this  line  would  be  a  great  benefit  to  our 
farming  community.  A  playground  for  the  grown-ups  is  as  important 
as  for  the  children. 

2.   MEANS  OF  PROVIDING  RECREATION  IN  THE  COUNTRY 

Means  of  Recreation  at  Hand.  These  men  and  women 
of  the  farms  understand  both  the  lack  and  the  need  of 
means  whereby  they  and  their  neighbors  may  find  relaxa- 
tion from  their  monotonous  ways  of  Uving.  ^ey  crave 
recreation  and  social  enjoyment.  But  they  fail  to  under- 
stand that  they  have  all  the  necessary  means  of  recreation 
—  the  schoolhouse  as  a  meeting  place  and  the  teacher 
as  a  leader.  Again,  the  responsibility  comes  back  upon 
the  teacher.  He  alone,  in  most  eases,  can  open  the  way 
to  social  enjoyment  and  recreation. 

A  Recreation  Program.  In  his  manual  of  rural  recrea- 
tion,i  Mr.  Warren  Dunham  Foster  outlines  a  recreation 
program  as  follows : 

In  every  case  your  study  of  actual  conditions  should  lead  to  a 
recreation  plan  that  takes  into  account : 

1.  The  neighborhood  center  for  the  social  and  intellectual  life 
of  the  community.    You  must  provide  opportunity  for  the  club 

^Neighborhood  Play,  published  by  the  Youth's  Companion 


76  The  Community  Center 

that  discusses  the  serious  sides  of  agriculture  and  household  arts, 
as  well  as  for  the  boys'  debating  society  and  the  monthly  social. 
Singing  societies,  neighborhood  bands,  the  clubs  that  give  simple 
plays  and  entertainments,  lectures  on  interesting  and  important 
topics  —  these  are  well-established  aids  to  community  pleasure  and 
advancement.  Remember  that  no  community  center  enterprise 
will  succeed  unless  it  is  something  that  your  neighbors  really  desire 
and  need.  A  successful  community  center  organization  will  generally 
make  it  possible  for  the  educational  extension  forces  of  your  state 
to  cooperate  with  your  community  to  the  best  advantage. 

2.  Special-day  festivals,  perhaps  with  pageantry,  upon  which  the 
whole  neighborhood  should  unite  for  a  good  time  that  is  worth  while. 

3.  Outdoor  fun  for  old  and  young,  such  as  picnics,  camping,  nature 
study,  and  water  sport. 

4.  Non-commercial  clubs  in  agriculture  and  household  arts  that 
will  bring  young  people  together  and  encourage  better  farming  and 
better  living. 

5.  Cooperation  with  outside  clubs,  such  as  the  Boy  Scouts,  the 
Camp  Fire  Girls,  and  the  Audubon  Society. 

6.  Athletics,  beginning  with  the  local  playground  and  extending 
to  a  county  system,  planned  so  as  to  encourage  physical  fitness  and 
good  times  for  all  boys  and  girls  rather  than  the  success  of  a  few  after 
unlimited  competition. 

We  have  reproduced  this  program  because  it  suggests' 
both  the  nature  and  the  scope  of  the  best  recreational 
activities  with  the  school  as  the  center.  It  is  only  sug- 
gestive, however,  and  the  teacher  will  have  to  study  his 
community  carefully  so  that  he  may  know  how  much 
of  the  program  is  practicable.  The  program  anticipates, 
for  example,  a  certain  minimum  of  play  apparatus  for 
the  children's  recreation;  whereas  the  securing  of  such 
apparatus  may  have  to  be  deferred  until  certain  other 
features  of  the  community  center  program  have  been 
determined. 

We  are  apt  to  think  of  recreation  in  terms  of  play, 
games,  contests,  etc.    These  are  only  certain  forms  of 


Recreation  77 

recreation.  The  debate  and  the  spelling-bee  are  also 
recreational,  having  even  the  value  of  personal  and  group 
contests.  School  entertainments,  box-suppers,  agricul- 
tural meetings,  reading  circles,  clubs  of  various  kinds,  all 
may  be  made  recreational.  The  people  of  a  community- 
can  find  recreation  even  in  coming  together  at  the  school- 
house  to  put  it  in  order  for  the  opening  of  the  school. 
Under  the  leadership  of  the  teacher  they  will  soon  dis- 
cover the  activities  in  which  they  may  find  the  most 
recreational  and  social  enjoyment. 

Chapter  X  offers  some  suggestions  for  providing  recre- 
ation by  means  of  several  cooperating  agencies  that  may 
be  found  in  one  form  or  another  in  most  rural  communi- 
ties. Teachers  may  obtain  bulletins  and  other  documents 
dealing  with  the  various  phases  of  recreation  by  writing 
to  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Education,  requesting 
a  bibliography  of  play  and  recreation.  Some  bulletins 
of  this  sort  may  be  obtained  from  the  Bureau. 

EXERCISES 

1.  Make  an  inventory  of  all  the  facilities  for  recreation  in  one  or 
two  rural  communities  which  you  know  best.  What  proportion  of 
the  people  are  benefited  by  such  recreation  facilities  as  you  enumerate? 

2.  Make  a  list  of  all  the  forms  of  recreation  that  might  be  provided 
free  or  at  reasonable  expense  for  the  people  of  the  same  communities. 

3.  Outline  in  detail  the  method  you  would  follow  if  you  were  a 
teacher  in  one  of  these  communities,  in  leading  the  people  to  an  appre- 
ciation of  what  you  understand  to  be  recreation. 

4.  Explain  the  differences  between  the  terms  "rest"  and  ** recrea- 
tion." 

5.  Prepare  a  program  for  recreation  in  your  school  community, 
or  in  another  community  that  you  know,  indicating  what  you  would 
expect  to  accomplish  in  each  of  five  successive  years  and  also  the  net 
result  of  your  five-year  program. 


CHAPTER  VI 

SOCIAL  CAPITAL  — ITS  DEVELOPMENT  AND 

USE 

1.  SOCIAL  CAPITAL  NECESSARY  FOR  COMMUNITY 
BUILDING  1 

Social  Capital  Defined.  In  the  use  of  the  phrase 
"  social  capital "  no  reference  is  made  here  to  the  usual 
acceptation  of  the  term  "  capital/'  except  in  a  figurative 
sense.  We  do  not  refer  to  real  estate  or  to  personal  prop- 
erty or  to  cash,  but  rather  to  that  in  life  which  tends  to 
make  these  tangible  substances  count  for  most  in  the 
daily  lives  of  a  people;  namely,  good  will,  fellowship, 
sympathy,  and  social  intercourse  among  the  individuals 
and  families  who  make  up  a  social  unit,  —  the  rural 
community,  whose  logical  center  in  most  cases  is  the 
school.  In  community  building,  as  in  business  organiza- 
tion, there  must  be  an  accumulation  of  capital  before 
constructive  work  can  be  done.  In  building  up  a  large 
business  of  modem  proportions,  there  must  first  be  an 
accumulation  of  capital  from  a  large  number  of  individuals. 
When  the  financial  resources  of  these  several  individuals 
have  been  brought  together  under  effective  organization 
and  skillful  management,  they  take  the  form  of  a  busi- 

1  The  first  two  sections  of  this  chapter,  with  a  few  minor  altera- 
tions, were  contributed  by  the  author  to  the  volume  entitled  New 
Possibilities  in  Education  in  The  Annals  of  the  American  Academy 
of  Social  and  Political  Science  (1916).  They  are  reproduced  in  this 
book  by  special  permission  of  the  editor. 

78 


Social  Capital  — Its  Development  and  Use    79 

ness  corporation  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  produce  an 
article  of  consumption  —  steel,  copper,  bread,  clothing ;  or 
to  provide  personal  conveniences  —  transportation,  elec- 
tricity, thoroughfares.  The  people  benefit  by  having 
such  products  and  conveniences  available  for  their  daily 
needs,  while  the  capitalists  benefit  by  receiving  the  profits 
as  compensation  for  their  services  to  society. 

Now  we  may  easily  pass  from  the  business  corporation 
over  to  the  social  corporation,  the  community,  and  find 
many  points  of  similarity.  The  individual  is  helpless 
socially,  if  left  to  himself.  Even  the  association  of  the 
members  of  one's  own  family  fails  to  satisfy  that  desire 
which  every  normal  individual  has  of  being  with  his 
fellows,  of  being  a  part  of  a  larger  group  than  the  family. 
If  he  comes  into  contact  with  his  neighbors,  there  will 
be  an  accumulation  of  social  capital,  which  may  immedi- 
ately satisfy  his  social  needs  and  which  may  bear  a  social 
potentiality  sufficient  for  the  substantial  improvement  of 
life  in  the  whole  community.  The  community  as  a  whole 
will  benefit  by  the  cooperation  of  all  its  parts,  while  the 
individual  will  find  in  his  associations  the  advantages  of 
the  help,  the  sympathy,  and  the  fellowship  of  his  neigh- 
bors. First,  then,  there  must  be  an  accumulation  of 
community  social  capital.  Such  accumulation  may  be 
effected  by  means  of  public  entertainments,  picnics, 
and  a  variety  of  other  community  gatherings.  When 
the  people  of  a  given  community  have  become  acquainted 
with  one  another  and  have  formed  a  habit  of  coming 
together  occasionally  for  entertainment,  social  inter- 
course, and  personal  enjoyment,  then  by  skillful  leader- 
ship this  social  capital  may  easily  be  directed  towards  the 
general  improvement  of  the  comm.unity  well-being. 

That  there  is  a  great  lack  of  such  social  capital  in  some 


80  The  Community  Center 

rural  districts  need  not  be  retold  in  this  chapter.  Every- 
body who  is  familiar  with  rural  conditions  knows  that 
to  be  true.  The  important  question  at  this  time  is: 
How  can  these  conditions  be  improved  ? 

2.  A  STORY  OF  ACHIEVEMENT 

The  story  which  follows  is  an  account  of  the  way  a 
West  Virginia  rural  community  in  a  single  year  actually 
developed  social  capital  and  then  used  this  capital  in  the 
improvement  of  its  recreational,  intellectual,  moral,  and 
economic  conditions.  The  community  under  discussion 
is  a  rural  district  of  thirty-three  square  miles,  which 
embraces  fifteen  school  communities.  Three  of  these 
school  communities  are  villages  having  graded  schools; 
the  other  twelve  are  rural,  having  one-teacher  schools. 
The  total  population  of  the  district  is  2180,  of  whom 
771  are  of  school  age,  six  to  twenty-one  years.  The 
school  organization  consists  of  a  board  of  education,  a 
district  supervisor,  and  twenty-three  teachers. 

This  district  supervisor,  Mr.  Lloyd  T.  Tustin,  of  Hun- 
dred, West  Virginia,  was  from  an  adjoining  county. 
He  came  into  the  district  two  weeks  before  the  date  set 
by  the  board  of  education  for  the  opening  of  the  schools. 
He  spent  these  two  weeks  going  about  the  district,  con- 
ferring with  the  local  trustees,  getting  acquainted  with 
the  people,  and  having  the  schoolhouses  put  in  order  for 
the  beginning  of  the  school  term.  On  the  Saturday  before 
the  Monday  on  which  the  schools  were  to  begin  he  held 
his  first  teachers'  meeting.  The  board  of  education  was 
present.  At  this  first  meeting  definite  plans  were  made  for 
the  year's  work.  Among  the  plans  made,  the  following  are 
some  that  were  carried  through  to  successful  conclusion. 


Social  Capital  —  Its  Development  and  Use    81 

Community  Survey.  Each  teacher  made  a  survey  of 
his  school  community  (a)  to  determine  the  physical 
and  human  resources  of  the  people ;  (6)  to  learn  the  crop 
yield  of  the  farms ;  and  (c)  to  find  what  children  in  the 
community  were  not  attending  school  and  the  reasons 
therefor.  These  individual  surveys  were  brought  together 
and  tabulated  as  a  survey  of  the  whole  district.  They 
were  used  to  advantage  later  in  acquainting  the  people 
with  the  conditions  and  needs  of  the  schools. 

Community  Center  Meetings.  This  survey  proved 
to  be  of  incalculable  value  to  the  teacher,  both  in  his 
regular  school  work  and  in  his  work  for  the  community 
center.  He  was  able  to  learn  at  first  hand  the  home  life 
of  his  pupils  and  to  become  acquainted  with  their  parents. 
His  work  among  the  homes  aroused  unusual  response  in 
the  parents,  for  no  other  teacher  had  ever  shown  so  much 
interest  in  their  welfare.  When  he  announced  that 
there  would  be  a  meeting  at  the  schoolhouse  for  all  the 
citizens,  nearly  all  were  interested  and  most  of  them  came. 
The  nature  of  this  fu*st  meeting  is  indicated  by  the  fol- 
lowing program : 

Song,  led  by  the  school  choir 

Devotion 

Address,  by  the  teacher 

Reading,  by  a  pupil 

Current  events,  by  a  pupil 

Essay,  by  a  pupil 

Song,  led  by  the  school  choir 

Reading,  by  a  pupil 

Vocal  solo 

Reading,  by  a  pupil 

Debate 

Cornet  solo,  by  a  citizen 

Social  half  hour 


82  The  Community  Centef 

Note  that  this  first  program  was  rendered  almost 
wholly  by  the  pupils.  The  teacher  took  occasion  to  speak 
of  the  work  of  the  school  and  to  show  some  of  the  possi- 
bilities of  such  meetings.  The  people  enjoyed  this  pro- 
gram and  expressed  a  desire  for  another  meeting  soon. 
The  next  program  at  this  schoolhouse  was  primarily  for 
the  older  folks.  It  was  entitled  "  Ye  Old  Time  School 
Days."  These  older  citizens  took  great  delight  in  relat- 
ing the  school  experiences  of  their  day,  and  the  children 
were  interested  listeners.  As  time  went  on,  the  weekly 
community  center  meeting  was  becoming  more  and  more 
a  feature  of  the  regular  community  activities  —  in  fact, 
the  only  cooperative  activity  of  the  community.  In  due 
time,  when  some  social  capital  had  been  developed,  these 
meetings  occasionally  took  the  form  of  discussions  of 
problems  of  a  constructive  nature.  The  people  discussed 
such  subjects  as : 

Should  West  Virginia  have  a  more  effective  compulsory  attend- 
ance law  ? 

Should  there  be  a  small  tax  on  oil  and  gas  for  the  support  of 
schools  and  roads? 

Is  it  more  profitable  to  grow  hogs  than  to  grow  cattle  in  this  com- 
munity? 

Do  boys  and  girls  have  better  opportunities  in  the  city  than  in 
the  country? 

But  entertainment  and  discussion  alone  will  not  hold 
the  interest  of  a  community  indefinitely.  A  definite 
purpose  common  to  all  must  become  the  reason  for  this 
coming  together.  Fortunately,  the  community  under  dis- 
cussion soon  passed  through  the  stages  of  entertainment 
and  discussion  to  a  state  of  action.  The  people  them- 
selves, under  the  leadership  of  their  supervisor  and  teach- 
ers, began  to  look  about  them  for  something  which  they 
might  do  towards  personal  and  community  improvement. 


Social  Capital  —  Its  Development  and  Use    83 

The  social  capital  developed  by  means  of  the  community 
center  meetings  was  about  to  pay  dividends. 

Agricultural  Fair  and  School  Exhibit.  The  first  big 
meeting  of  the  year  was  the  agricultural  fair  and  school 
exhibit,  which  brought  together  the  people  of  the  whole 
school  district.  The  local  community  center  meetings 
gave  the  supervisor  and  the  teachers  an  opportunity  to 
explain  the  purpose  and  the  plans  of  this  undertaking. 
In  October,  two  months  after  the  opening  of  the  schools, 
this  fair  and  exhibit  was  held  at  the  most  central  school- 
house  in  the  district.  The  people  came  in  large  numbers. 
They  brought  baskets  of  food  and  had  a  community 
"  spread."  Prizes  were  awarded  for  the  best  products 
of  the  farm  and  the  kitchen  and  for  the  best  work  exhibited 
by  the  schools.  It  was  a  great  day  to  every  one  present. 
It  was  the  "  pooling  "  of  social  capital  developed  in  the 
local  community  centers,  the  first  meeting  of  the  people 
of  the  whole  district. 

Community  History.  At  each  school  the  pupils  of 
the  classes  in  United  States  and  state  history  wrote  a 
history  of  their  local  community  —  who  the  first  settlers 
were  and  when  they  came;  when  the  first  church  was 
built  and  when  any  others  were  built;  when  and  where 
the  first  schoolhouse  was  built  and  what  important  changes 
had  been  made  in  the  schools  since  then ;  who  had  first 
introduced  improved  live  stock,  the  silo,  and  farm  machin- 
ery, and  other  items  of  local  historical  interest.  This 
work  had  been  done  under  the  direction  of  the  teachers. 
When  the  histories  had  been  prepared,  the  children  of 
each  school  gave  a  program  entitled  "  History  Evening," 
at  which  the  community  history  was  read  by  the  pupils 
who  had  written  it.  This  proved  to  be  a  very  popular 
program^  since  many  of  the  citizens  or  their  ancestors 


84  The  Community  Center 

were  personally  mentioned.  It  had  a  marked  effect 
upon  the  pride  of  the  people  in  their  home  community. 
After  these  programs  had  been  rendered,  the  several 
histories  of  the  local  communities  were  compiled  into  a 
history  of  the  whole  school  district. 

School  Attendance.  It  will  be  recalled  that  one  object 
of  the  community  survey  was  to  determine  what  chil- 
dren were  not  attending  the  schools.  While  visiting  the 
homes,  the  teachers  were  able  to  interest  a  good  many 
absentees  in  going  to  school  or  to  persuade  their  parents 
to  send  them.  Subsequent  visits  by  the  teachers  at  the 
homes  brought  most  of  the  children  into  the  schools. 
Then,  at  the  community  center  meetings,  the  subject 
of  school  attendance  was  discussed  from  time  to  time  as 
a  part  of  the  program.  By  means  of  this  personal  work 
of  the  teachers  in  the  homes  and  the  discussions  at  the 
community  meetings,  the  average  daily  attendance  was 
actually  increased  by  fourteen  per  cent  over  that  of 
the  preceding  year.  This  increased  attendance  was 
accomplished  without  resort  to  the  courts  in  a  single 
case.  The  parents  came  to  realize  that  the  schools  cost 
them  the  same  whether  their  children  attended  them 
or  not.  They  came  also  to  see  more  clearly  than  ever 
before  what  the  schools  meant  to  the  future  welfare  of 
their  children  and  to  the  credit  of  themselves  as  fathers 
and  mothers.  Be  it  understood  also,  that  these  parents 
were  not  "  preached  to  "  about  sending  their  children 
to  school.  They  were  led  into  discussions  of  school  at- 
tendance among  themselves  and  they  arrived  at  their 
own  conclusions. 

Evening  Classes.  While  making  the  community  sur- 
veys, the  teachers  quietly  learned  also,  in  such  a  way  as 
not  to  be  embarrassing  to  any  one,  the  number  of  adult 


Social  Capital  —  Its  Development  and  Use    85 

illiterates  in  their  communities.  From  these  reports 
it  was  found  that  there  were  forty-five  adults  in  the 
school  district  who  could  not  read  and  write.  At  the 
community  center  meetings,  the  supervisor,  the  teachers, 
and  the  parents  came  to  the  conclusion  that,  to  meet 
the  educational  needs  of  the  adult  population,  evening 
classes  should  be  organized  for  all  who  would  attend 
them.  Accordingly,  announcement  was  made  at  the 
community  centers  that  at  certain  centers  evening  classes 
would  be  offered  one  night  each  week  in  addition  to  the 
regular  community  center  meetings.  These  centers  for 
evening  classes  were  so  selected  that  the  teachers  of 
near-by  schools  could  assist  the  local  teacher  in  this  work 
—  in  effect,  a  consolidation  of  schools  for  evening  classes. 
The  plan  was  eminently  successful.  The  English  sub- 
jects (reading,  writing,  spelling),  arithmetic,  and  agri- 
culture constituted  the  course  of  study,  not  the  usual 
textbook  study,  but  just  the  things  that  the  people  were 
interested  in  learning.  Nothing  was  said  about  illiteracy. 
Any  who  could  not  read  and  write  joined  the  English 
classes  and,  with  individual  instruction,  began  at  the 
very  beginning. 

The  evening  classes  were  community  center  meetings 
(a)  because  they  brought  together  three  or  four  neigh- 
borhoods, thus  enlarging  the  circle  of  acquaintances; 
(6)  because  the  demonstration  work  in  the  agricultural 
subjects  attracted  a  great  many  who  would  have  come 
for  no  other  reason;  and  (c)  because  the  class  exercises 
were  accompanied  by  a  social  half  hour  and  in  some  cases 
followed  by  refreshments  provided  by  the  families 
represented. 

Lecture  Course.  Closely  related  to  the  work  of  the 
evening  classes  was  a  free  lecture  course.    The  lectures 


86  The  Community  Center 

were  given  at  the  schoolhouse  by  the  teachers  of  other 
schools  in  the  district  and  by  citizens  of  the  community 
who  had  messages  for  their  neighbors.  The  subjects 
of  these  lectures  dealt  with  the  improvement  of  agriculture, 
roads,  schools,  sanitation,  morals.  These  lectures  drew 
upon  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Education,  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture,  the  State  Agricultural 
College,  the  State  Department  of  Schools,  and  the  Public 
Health  Council  for  information  upon  their  respective 
subjects,  and  in  some  instances  bulletins  containing 
information  on  these  subjects  were  given  to  the  people 
to  be  taken  home  with  them.  These  lectures  were  in 
reality  community  center  meetings,  and  no  one  profited 
more  from  them  than  the  teachers  themselves. 

National  Patriotism.  The  times  called  for  a  revival  of 
national  patriotism  among  the  people.  Accordingly, 
the  central  theme  of  one  of  the  programs  at  each  com- 
munity center  was  national  patriotism.  A  little  guid- 
ance upon  the  part  of  the  teachers  during  this  program 
led  to  placing  a  flag  upon  every  schoolhouse  in  the  dis- 
trict. The  people  purchased  the  flags,  cut  and  hauled 
the  flag  poles,  and  observed  Flag  Day  at  the  schoolhouse 
by  raising  the  flags.  This  demonstration  led  later  to 
the  placing  of  a  small  flag  in  each  schoolroom,  with  the 
result  that  when  "  The  Star-Spangled  Banner  "  was  sung, 
every  child  leaped  to  his  feet  and  saluted  his  country's 
flag  —  another  factor  in  community  improvement. 

School  Libraries.  Another  interesting  outgrowth  of 
the  community  center  work  in  this  district  was  the  raising 
of  two  hundred  eighty-two  dollars  for  school  libraries. 
This  amount  was  raised  at  suppers,  socials,  and  public 
entertainments.  Every  school  in  the  district  now  has  a 
small  collection  of  books  approved  by  the  state  super- 


Social  Capital  —  Its  Development  and  Use    87 

intendent  of  schools.  In  addition  to  the  books  purchased, 
the  teachers  secured  a  large  number  of  free  bulletins 
upon  agriculture,  roads,  schools,  and  other  subjects  of 
interest  to  the  community. 

School  Athletics.  As  stated  in  the  first  paragraph  of 
this  account,  there  were  in  the  school  district  three  graded 
and  twelve  one-teacher  schools.  The  three  graded  schools 
were  made  athletic  centers,  and  to  each  were  assigned  four 
one-teacher  schools.  At  each  of  these  three  centers  a 
baseball  team  was  organized,  the  players  being  chosen 
from  among  the  pupils  of  the  graded  school  and  its  allied 
one-teacher  schools.  These  three  athletic  centers  were 
then  organized  into  a  district  school  baseball  league. 
One  who  did  not  get  information  at  first  hand  by  observa- 
tion could  scarcely  conceive  the  benefits  derived  from  the 
baseball  contests.  The  baseball  games  were  almost 
the  only  source  of  outdoor  amusement  provided  the 
people  of  the  district.  Rivalry  among  these  three  athletic 
centers  was  keen  but  wholesome.  The  activities  of  the 
baseball  league  were  a  strong  factor  in  the  development 
of  community  social  capital.  A  good  many  boys  who 
had  not  been  in  school  for  two  or  three  years  now  enrolled 
to  play  baseball.  But  in  his  report  of  these  baseball 
contests,  the  supervisor  says :  "  They  (these  older  boys) 
stayed  in  school  not  only  to  the  end  of  the  baseball  season  ; 
they  got  a  taste  of  books  and  have  been  regular  in  attend- 
ance to  the  end  of  the  year.  Some  who  had  not  been  in 
school  for  over  two  years  won  their  free  school  diplomas 
this  year  and  are  planning  to  go  to  high  school  next  year." 

Good  Roads.  In  two  or  three  places  I  have  made 
mention  of  roads.  The  subject  of  improved  roads  was 
discussed  at  each  of  the  community  centers.  Waste  of 
time  and  money  occasioned  by  the  bad  condition  of  the 


88  The  Community  Center 

roads  of  that  district,  together  with  the  cost  of  improving 
them,  was  determined  at  these  meetings.  The  crowning 
event  of  this  notable  year's  work  was  the  voting  of  bonds 
in  the  sum  of  two  hundred  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  im- 
prove the  roads  —  a  very  large  dividend  paid  on  the  social 
capital  developed  during  the  year. 

3.   THE   SOCIAL  BUSINESS   GROWS 

Capital  Stock  Increased  —  Extra  Dividends.  Note 
that  the  foregoing  is  a  statement  of  the  organization  of 
this  social  corporation  and  its  first  year's  activities.  Just 
as  any  successful  business  corporation  grows  from  year 
to  year,  so  did  the  social  corporation  of  Church  District. 

In  the  second  year  of  its  organization,  this  corporation, 
through  its  agents,  the  teachers,  made  another  community 
survey  (an  invoice),  so  that  all  its  members  might  know 
what  progress  had  been  made  as  compared  with  its  social 
standing  at  the  beginning.  As  a  result  of  this,  the  com- 
munity meetings  at  the  several  school  centers  were  con- 
tinued with  increasing  interest;  a  larger  and  better 
agricultural  fair  and  school  exhibit  was  held;  through 
the  greater  efforts  of  the  teachers  and  parents  the  school 
attendance  was  increased;  the  evening  classes  were 
better  attended  than  the  year  before ;  the  lecture  course 
was  continued  with  improved  quality  and  larger  attend- 
ance; the  demands  of  the  National  Government  upon 
the  schools  for  assistance  in  the  Liberty  Bond  and  Red 
Cross  drives  so  aroused  national  patriotism  in  the  com- 
munity that  it  made  one  of  the  very  best  records  in  the 
state ;  it  led  the  whole  state  in  the  Food  Pledge  Card 
Campaign;  the  community  raised  $516.17  for  school 
libraries,  adding  2331  volumes;    school   athletics   were 


Social  Capital  —  Its  Development  and  Use     89 

carried  forward  with  added  interest;  the  public  roads, 
for  the  building  of  which  this  social  corporation  had  set 
aside  $250,000  in  bonds,  were  being  built.  This  social 
corporation  also  set  aside  from  its  earnings  such  sums  as 
were  necessary  for  the  repair  and  painting  of  buildings, 
for  building  outhouses  and  for  painting  and  screening 
them,  for  boring  water  wells  where  needed,  for  fencing 
school  yards,  and  for  the  better  furnishing  and  equipping  of 
all  the  schools.  For  their  amusement  and  recreation  a 
moving  picture  machine  was  purchased,  which  provided 
each  neighborhood  with  a  moving  picture  show  every 
two  weeks. 

Would  it  be  too  fanciful  to  say  that  this  social  corpo- 
ration declared  the  following  estimated  extra  dividends? 


In  better  teaching 

In  school  attendance    .... 

In  better  social  life 

In  service  of  improved  highways 
In  increase  of  salaries  of  teachers 
Total    . 


50% 
10% 
20% 
10% 
10% 
100% 


While  the  declaration  of  extra  dividends  is  only  esti- 
mated, the  narration  of  what  this  district  community, 
or  group  of  neighborhoods,  has  achieved  is  actually  true. 
The  district  was,  of  course,  fortunate  in  having  in  the 
district  school  supervisor  a  leader  of  exceptional  quali- 
ties. He  was  able  to  gain  the  complete  cooperation  of 
the  teachers  under  his  supervision,  and  through  them 
and  through  personal  contact  with  the  people  at  the 
community  meetings,  to  enlist  the  loyalty  and  the  cooper- 
ation of  the  whole  community.  The  achievements  de- 
scribed demonstrate  what  some  of  the  community  center 
possibilities  are. 


90  The  Community  Center 

Better  Teaching  Results.  But  the  greatest  benefit 
derived  from  these  community  center  activities  is  the 
one  most  Hkely  to  be  overlooked,  namely,  better  teaching 
in  the  schools.  Here  was  a  group  of  rural  teachers  who 
came  together  once  a  month  to  discuss  with  their  super- 
visor their  plans,  their  successes,  and  their  failures.  They 
learned  from  one  another,  benefited  from  one  another's 
mistakes  or  successes.  They  were  able  to  work  as  a 
unit,  to  do  team  work.  Each  was  ambitious  to  be  as 
good  as  the  best  teacher  in  the  district.  They  had  been 
in  the  homes  of  their  patrons.  They  had  met  the  patrons 
at  the  schoolhouse  every  two  weeks  and  had  discussed 
with  them  the  work  of  the  school  and  the  needs  of  the 
community.  All  were  genuinely  interested  not  only  in 
their  schools  but  also  in  their  communities.  All  this 
while  the  pupils  themselves  were  active  in  the  community 
center  work,  thus  receiving  training  for  meeting  later  in 
life  situations  of  a  public  nature. 

EXERCISES 

1.  Select  a  community  that  you  know  and  make  a  list  of  its  social 
capital. 

2.  Does  the  social  capital  of  this  community  pay  satisfactory 
dividends  in  terms  of  (a)  education,  (6)  recreation,  (c)  morality, 
(d)  general  community  welfare? 

3.  If  not,  does  this  community  lack  the  necessary  social  machinery ; 
or  does  its  social  machinery  need  to  be  polished,  oiled,  and  directed 
by  a  skillful  engineer  —  the  teacher  or  other  community  leader? 

4.  Suppose  you  are  going  to  teach  in  this  community,  and  that 
on  the  first  Friday  night  of  the  term  the  stockholders  of  this  social 
corporation  are  going  to  meet  at  the  schoolhouse  to  devise  ways  and 
means  of  "putting  this  concern  on  its  feet."  Outline  a  program 
which  you  as  general  manager  would  propose  for  the  consideration 
of  these  stockholders. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   COMMUNITY   CENTER   AS   AN   AID   TO 
TEACHING 

1.   IN   SECURING   COMMUNITY   COOPERATION 

The  School  and  the  Community  Have  Fallen  Apart. 
Perhaps  the  chief  cause  of  the  failure  commonly  attributed 
to  the  rural  schools  is  lack  of  community  cooperation. 
Formerly  this  was  not  the  case.  •"  The  rural  school  of 
the  earlier  days,"  says  Professor  B.  M.  Davis,^  "  con- 
sidering the  needs  of  almost  pioneer  conditions,  was 
efficient.  It  was  efficient  largely  because  it  was  closely 
linked  with  the  life  of  the  community  in  most  of  its  in- 
terests. The  men  of  the  community  turned  out  and  to- 
gether built  the  schoolhouse.  The  teacher  was  a  member 
of  the  neighborhood  group,  literally  living  with  them, 
for  he  generally  spent  part  of  the  year  in  each  home. 
Young  men  and  women  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and 
twenty-one  attended  the  school.  The  weekly  literary 
society  and  frequent  '  spelling-bees '  contributed  the 
social  life  of  the  community  with  the  school  as  the 
center.  .  .  . 

"  Gradually  the  rural  school  has  lost  its  hold  upon  the 
community.  One  by  one  the  interests  which  brought 
the  people  and  the  school  together  have  ceased.  Along 
with  these  interests  has  disappeared  much  educational 

*  Agricultural  Education 
91 


92  The  Community  Center 

efficiency.  But  traditions  which  grew  up  with  the  little 
one-room  schoolhouse  have  persisted/' 

Traditions  of  the  Old  School  Persist  To-day.  These 
traditions  do  persist,  and  they  must  be  recognized  and 
fairly  dealt  with.  We  must  bear  in  mind  always  that 
the  one-teacher  school  which  our  parents  and  grand- 
parents attended  was  sufficient  for  their  schoolboy  and 
schoolgirl  needs.  It  is  the  only  school  that  they  know 
very  much  about.  Therefore,  when  the  more  progressive 
leaders  of  a  community  propose  the  consolidation  of  schools 
or  some  other  way  of  improving  this  one-teacher  school, 
those  who  have  not  thought  much  about  its  inefficiency 
are  likely  to  oppose  such  plans.  When  the  teacher 
requests  new  furniture,  more  equipment,  etc.,  some  of 
the  people  may  fail  to  understand  that  such  things  are 
really  needed.  Sometimes,  when  the  teacher  undertakes 
to  teach  by  modern  methods  the  new  subjects  that  have 
been  added  to  the  rural  school  curriculum,  a  few  people 
honestly  believe  that  he  does  not  know  what  he  is  about ; 
that  he  is  wasting  his  time  in  trying  to  teach  a  lot  of  use- 
less subjects  by  "  new-fangled "  methods.  They  say 
they  want  their  children  taught  "  the  three  R's  "  as  these 
subjects  were  taught  to  them.  In  other  words,  the  best 
rural  schools  have  moved  ahead,  while  some  of  the  people 
have  stood  still  in  matters  educational.  That  is  the 
reason  why  some  normal  school  graduates  go  out  to 
teach  rural  schools  with  great  enthusiasm,  intending 
to  employ  all  the  new  methods,  but,  finding  their  plans 
stoutly  opposed  by  some  of  the  parents,  finally  follow  the 
lines  of  least  resistance  and  fall  back  into  the  old  methods 
of  teaching  from  textbooks  alone. 

Under  Such  Conditions  What  Shall  the  Teacher  Do? 
The  teacher  may  find  some  hope  in  the  community  center. 


An  Aid  to  Teaching  93 

The  reader  may  have  read  The  Little  School  Mistress. 
If  so,  he  will  remember  that  the  little  school  mistress 
undertook  to  teach  a  country  school  according  to  approved 
methods.  Some  of  the  parents  objected  to  her  "  new- 
fangled "  notions.  One  cold  morning  one  of  the  fathers 
went  to  the  school  intending  to  tell  the  teacher  just  what 
he  thought  of  such  methods.  It  will  be  remembered 
how  the  teacher  met  him  at  the  door,  found  him  the 
best  seat  by  the  stove,  and  then,  while  he  was  warming 
himself,  called  his  own  boy  to  write  his  lesson  upon  the 
blackboard.  The  father,  who  had  complained  that  this 
boy  did  not  know  his  a-b-c's,  was  fairly  dumfounded  to 
learn  that  his  son  could  not  only  recognize  the  letters 
but  could  also  write  whole  sentences  upon  the  blackboard. 
This  father  left  the  school  convinced  that  the  community 
had  the  best  teacher  in  the  county. 

That  teacher  had  found  the  key  to  the  solution  of  one 
of  the  most  difficult  problems  in  teaching.  Most  farmers 
are  "  from  Missouri."  If  they  have  become  prejudiced 
against  the  teacher,  nine  times  out  of  ten  they  will,  upon 
making  his  acquaintance,  change  their  minds.  If,  for 
example,  they  do  not  believe  the  teacher  when  he  reports 
the  need  of  better  school  furniture,  they  are  likely  to  be 
convinced  if  they  can  be  induced  to  sit  in  one  of  the 
dilapidated  seats.  Or,  if  the  blackboard  is  merely  a 
painted  wall,  let  the  teacher  contrive  to  get  them  to  use 
it.  Such  experiences  will  usually  help  them  to  recognize 
the  school's  needs.  If  the  community  needs  a  new 
schoolhouse,  the  best  way  to  convince  the  doubters  is 
to  get  them  to  make  a  personal  examination  of  the  build- 
ing that  shelters  their  children.  If  the  consolidation  of 
schools  is  proposed,  let  the  people  get  together  at  one  of 
the  schoolhouses  and  discuss  the  proposition;  they  may 


94  The  Community  Center 

decide  against  the  proposal  for  the  present,  but  it  is  a  safe 
bet  that  such  consolidation  would  not  be  effected  in  most 
communities  until  the  people  did  get  together. 

The  Teacher  and  the  Commimity  Must  Get  Together. 
All  of  which  means  simply  that  when  it  comes  to  break- 
ing down  the  prejudices  and  misconceptions  which  some 
of  the  people  in  almost  any  community  have  about  the 
teacher's  work,  about  the  physical  conditions  of  the 
school,  and  about  worthy  progressive  programs  of  any 
kind,  they  must  first  come  together  so  that  it  may  be 
made  clear  to  them  what  is  proposed  to  be  done  and  also 
what  steps  need  to  be  taken  to  improve  the  school. 
For  we  must  remember  that  some  of  these  people  have 
been  so  isolated  from  one  another,  from  the  school,  and 
from  the  developments  in  education,  that  they  are  out  of 
touch  with  modem  educational  practices.  They  are 
thinking  all  the  time  of  the  school  which  they  attended. 
Once  they  become  acquainted  with  one  another  and  begin 
to  cooperate  with  the  teacher  in  community  center  activi- 
ties, they  will  be  prepared  to  cooperate  with  him  in  the 
real  activities  of  the  school. 

How  Some  Teachers  Have  Secured  Community  Co- 
operation. Some  time  ago  the  writer  sent  a  questionnaire 
to  a  hundred  or  more  teachers  who  had  been  active  in 
community  center  work.  He  takes  the  liberty  of  quoting 
from  some  of  the  replies,  showing  what  these  teachers 
had  experienced. 

"All  of  the  parents  were  present  at  one  of  the  meetings  except 
three,  who  were  detained  by  sickness.  These  meetings  have  created 
a  stronger  and  better  school  sentiment,  better  cooperation  between 
parents  and  teacher." 

"I  secured  the  hearty  cooperation  of  the  community,  and  the 
meetings  caused  them  to  talk  school,  education,  and  progress.    The 


An  Aid  to  Teaching  95 

meetings  have  brought  the  people  together  educationally  and  so- 
cially. I  have  accomplished  much  more  this  year  than  I  did  three 
years  ago  when  I  taught  the  same  school." 

"The  neighborhood  is  divided  regarding  religion.  There  are 
two  churches  and  so  much  dissension  among  the  members  of  each 
that  it  was  very  hard  to  harmonize  all  the  forces.  I  think  the  com- 
munity meetings  helped  considerably." 

"The  meetings  seemed  to  make  every  one  more  interested  in  the 
education  of  their  children.  They  brought  the  parents  into  closer 
contact  with  the  schools  than  ever  before,  and  have  enabled  me  to 
get  along  better  with  my  school  by  understanding  the  people  better." 

"This  is  a  very  large  school.  Last  year  there  were  two  teachers. 
One  had  to  leave  and  the  other  had  two  trials  (in  court).  When  I 
came  here  I  saw  at  once  that  the  main  trouble  was  lack  of  public 
sentiment.  First  I  visited  all  the  parents.  Then  I  organized  a 
literary  society.  Pretty  soon  we  had  a  box-supper  and  raised  $40.95, 
which  we  used  to  purchase  seventy-nine  books  for  the  library,  two 
dozen  drinking  cups  (for  which  the  boys  made  a  cabinet),  a  globe, 
and  five  framed  pictures.  The  patrons  are  now  asking  for  another 
box-supper  to  buy  an  organ  for  the  school.  I  attribute  my  success 
to  the  personal  visits  and  to  these  meetings." 

"The  best  cooperation  I  ever  had.  This  was  made  very  simple 
by  first  arousing  an  interest  in  spelling.  We  did  not  have  a  dissent- 
ing vote  at  this  precinct  in  the  high  school  election,  204  votes  being 
cast.  Our  best  social  center  meeting  was  our  celebration  of  the  vic- 
tory of  establishing  a  district  high  school.  I  expect  to  use  the  social 
center  next  year  to  improve  the  use  of  the  mother  tongue  in  the 
homes." 

"There  is  now  a  strong  sentiment  for  better  schools  in  Sheridan 
district.  The  people  want  a  high  school.  My  impressions  are  and 
have  been  for  some  years  that  we  must  reach  the  parents  by  some 
means,  and  I  believe  this  social  center  movement  is  almost  the  only 
avenue  of  approach  that  we  have." 

"There  are  three  schools  on  Campbell's  Run  that  can  work  to- 
gether nicely.  The  first  meeting  was  a  meeting  of  the  three  schools 
at  a  central  point,  at  which  the  pupils  engaged  in  different  games, 


96  The  Community  Center 

Buch  as  foot  races,  jumping,  tug-of-war,  and  baseball.  There  is  now 
strong  talk  of  consolidating  these  three  schools.  My  school  consists 
of  only  eight  scholars." 

"I  notice  that  some  old  grudges  and  feuds  have  given  way  to 
friendship  and  social  intercourse.  The  people  are  able  to  get  together 
and  exchange  ideas  about  the  practical  pursuits  of  life." 

The  experience  of  these  teachers  may  help  to  convince 
other  teachers  that  it  is  possible  to  secure  the  cooperation 
of  parents  if  the  teacher  will  exercise  good  judgment  and 
tact  in  dealing  with  them. 

2.   m   SECURING   BETTER   SCHOOL  ATTENDANCE 

School  Attendance  a  Perennial  Problem.  The  problem 
of  school  attendance  is  common  to  all  kinds  of  schools. 
Most  of  the  states  now  have  laws  undertaking  to  compel 
attendance  of  all  children  up  to  a  given  age.  These  laws 
are  enforced  with  varying  degi-ees  of  success.  They  are 
no  doubt  a  necessary  evil.  Still,  every  teacher  knows 
how  difficult  it  is  to  get  children  to  do  school  work,  if 
they  attend  school  only  because  they  are  compelled  by 
law.  The  teacher  can  keep  a  pupil  in  school,  but  he  may 
have  great  difficulty  in  making  him  work.  For,  when  it 
comes  to  compulsion  of  attendance,  the  teacher  has  not 
only  the  boy  to  deal  with  but,  in  many  cases,  the  parents 
also. 

But  Teachers  Can  Solve  the  Attendance  Problem. 
Although  we  are  not  dealing  primarily  with  the  question 
of  school  attendance,  this  problem/ has  a  very  close  rela- 
tion to  the  community  center  movement.  For  that 
reason,  we  venture  to  state  that  legal  compulsory  attend- 
ance is  the  laziest  possible  method  that  can  be  employed 
to  keep  children  in  school ;  and  that,  if  he  is  willing  to 


An  Aid  to  Teaching  97 

make  the  necessary  effort,  the  teacher  can  take  care  of 
at  least  ninety  per  cent  of  all  truancies.  Among  the  best 
means  that  can  be  employed  are  included  the  attractive- 
ness of  good  teaching,  humane  treatment  of  the  children, 
and  skill  in  dealing  with  their  parents,  none  of  which  would 
properly  fall  into  this  discussion. 

Legal  and  Moral  Contracts  of  Teachers.  When  a 
teacher  contracts  to  teach  a  school  he  makes  both  a  legal 
and  a  moral  contract.  His  legal  contract  requires  that 
he  teach  a  stated  or  implied  number  of  hours  for  so  many 
days  and  that  he  maintain  proper  discipline  in  his  school. 
His  moral  contract  requires  in  addition  that,  if  possible, 
he  bring  under  his  instruction  and  influence  the  boys  and 
the  girls,  who,  without  his  personal  efforts,  would  not 
attend  school. 

How  to  Fulfill  the  Moral  Contract.  The  teacher  can  do 
that  (1)  by  visiting  the  homes  of  the  children,  talking  with 
them  and  their  parents,  encouraging,  persuading;  and 
(2)  by  leading  the  parents  at  the  community  center 
meetings  into  discussions  of  the  value  of  education  to 
the  future  welfare  of  the  children  and  through  them  to 
the  future  welfare  of  the  community.  If  the  teacher 
can  win  the  good  will  and  the  confidence  of  the  children, 
and  at  the  same  time  obtain  the  intelligent  cooperation 
of  their  parents,  he  will  be  able  to  get  the  children  into  the 
school,  and,  by  skillfully  handling  them,  to  keep  them  there. 

How  Some  Teachers  Have  Improved  School  Attend- 
ance. Upon  this  point  we  wish  to  offer  a  few  testimonials 
from  teachers  who  have  succeeded  in  accomplishing  this 
very  purpose : 

"  These  meetings  had  a  decided  result  upon  the  attendance.  Ten 
pupils  were  neither  absent  nor  tardy  during  the  whole  term.  Patrons 
have  shown  their  willingness  to  aid  in  every  way  they  could." 


98  The  Community  Center 

"These  meetings  improved  school  sentiment  wonderfully.  They 
caused  the  patrons  to  send  their  children  to  school  more  regularly. 
Out  of  an  enrollment  of  thirty-two  pupils,  sixteen  were  neither  absent 
nor  tardy.  Some  of  the  pupils  had  to  come  two  and  one-half  miles 
over  rough  roads." 

"These  meetings  have  improved  attendance,  minimized  tardiness, 
and  stimulated  the  pupils  to  greater  efforts." 

"  The  boys  and  girls  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  leaving  school 
before  the  term  closed  attended  regularly  this  year." 

"Our  average  attendance  was  forty-four  for  the  entire  term. 
Heretofore,  they  tell  me,  it  was  only  fifteen  to  twenty.  Our  enroll- 
ment was  sixty-four,  the  oldest  scholar  being  thirty-six  years  of  age. 
Four  young  men  and  women  who  had  been  out  of  school  three  or  four 
years  attended  regularly  and  did  excellent  work.  Twenty-four 
children  got  perfect  attendance  certificates.  The  people  are  petition- 
ing the  board  of  education  to  build  them  a  two-room  school  for  next 
year." 

"My  success  this  winter  is  due  largely  to  the  community  center 
meetings.  I  never  was  in  a  school  before  where  I  was  able  to  hold 
the  interest  of  the  children  until  the  last  day  of  the  term.  Interest 
did  not  prevail  among  the  children  alone,  but  reached  also  to  the 
entire  sub-district.  One  patron  remarked  on  the  last  day  of  the  term 
that  it  was  the  first  school  he  had  ever  been  interested  in." 

These  enthusiastic  statements  from  teachers  who  had 
the  courage  to  test  the  efficacy  of  the  community  center 
movement  ought  to  suggest  to  other  teachers,  similarly 
situated,  a  way  to  help  solve  the  school  attendance 
problem. 

3.   IN  ITS  EFFECTS  UPON  THE  REGULAR  SCHOOL  WORK 

Lack  of  Incentives  in  Rural  Schools.  The  preparation 
and  the  recitation  of  lessons,  and  nothing  else,  make 
pretty  dull  work  for  children.  This  is  especially  true 
with  country  children  where  this  work  is  oftentimes  un- 


An  Aid  to  Teaching  99 

necessarily  confined  largely  to  textbooks;  where  the 
teacher  has  very  little  time  to  give  individual  instruction ; 
and  where  little  opportunity  is  offered  for  play  and 
recreation.  In  city  schools  children  work  together  and 
play  together  in  rather  large  groups.  But  in  country 
schools  we  seldom  find  over  four  or  five  children  in  a  class, 
and  many  a  boy  in  the  upper  grades  is  the  whole  class 
himself,  having  to  answer  all  the  questions.  When  it 
is  recess  or  noon,  these  older  children  are  so  few  in  num- 
ber that  they  cannot  even  organize  a  game.  Is  it  any 
wonder,  then,  that  they  drop  out  of  school  at  their  first 
opportjmity ;  or,  that  they  look  upon  their  school  work 
as  something  merely  to  be  tolerated? 

Parents'  Attendance  at  Community  Meetings  an 
Encouragement  to  Children.  The  presence  of  the  parents 
at  the  community  meetings  is  encouraging  to  the  pupils. 
They  feel  then  that  the  school  really  amounts  to  some- 
thing. Let  a  few  successful  teachers  bear  witness  to  this 
fact : 

"These  meetings  encourage  pupils  to  do  better  work,  prove  to 
the  pupils  that  the  parents  are  interested  in  their  work,  and  help 
to  hold  the  interest  of  the  pupils  in  their  studies." 

"These  meetings  and  debates  have  caused  many  of  the  pupils 
to  read  the  library  books  in  search  of  material  for  debates  and  in- 
formation, and  seemingly  create  a  greater  interest  in  all  school  work." 

"The  interest  the  parents  have  shown  in  these  meetings  helps 
not  only  with  the  work  of  these  meetings,  but  also  creates  a  greater 
interest  among  the  pupils  in  their  regular  school  work." 

"These  meetings  are  essential  to  good  school  work,  for  without 
them  it  is  hard  for  the  teacher,  the  parents,  and  the  pupils  to  work 
in  harmony.  They  promote  interest  and  the  right  kind  of  school 
spirit," 


100  The  Community  Center 

"Our  best  meeting  was  a  'spelling-bee.'  It  was  intensely  inter- 
esting to  see  the  parents  pitted  against  the  children,  to  see  how  they 
struggled  for  mastery.  But  several  of  the  parents,  some  forty  or 
fifty  years  of  age,  showed  the  rising  generation  that  they  could 
spell  in  the  new  book  much  better  than  the  boys  and  girls  who  are 
now  studying  it." 

"I  feel  sure  that  these  meetings  exerted  a  most  wholesome  influ- 
ence on  the  school  and  its  work." 

Teachers  who  have  successfully  conducted  literary- 
exercises  on  Friday  afternoons,  whether  the  parents  were 
present  or  not,  will  remember  how  glad  children  are  when 
Friday  afternoon  comes  and  how  eagerly  they  perform 
their  parts  of  the  program.  Some  teachers  have  even 
offered  such  exercises  as  a  reward  for  good  behavior  and 
faithful  work  during  the  other  four  and  a  half  days  of  the 
week.  These  exercises,  whether  in  the  afternoon  or 
evening,  furnish  about  the  only  recreation  the  children 
have.  If  they  are  held  in  connection  with,  or  as  a  part 
of,  the  school,  the  children  get  the  idea  that  the  school 
itself  is  a  bit  more  interesting  than  it  otherwise  would  be ; 
and  when  their  parents  join  them  in  giving  the  program, 
the  children  get  some  satisfaction  in  feeling  that  they  are 
engaged  in  an  enterprise  in  which  the  whole  community 
is  interested. 

The  Only  Training  Children  Have  for  Public  Speaking. 
Furthermore,  we  should  remember  that  about  ninety-five 
per  cent  of  these  country  children  will  quit  school  either 
upon  completion  of  the  elementary  grades,  or  before  that 
time ;  that  training  in  appearing  before  a  public  audience 
is  beneficial  to  the  individual  and  makes  him  more  help- 
ful to  the  community;  and  that  the  literary  exercises, 
or  community  meetings,  are  the  only  opportunities  these 
children  are  going  to  have  to  get  such  training.    Most 


An  Aid  to  Teaching  \\  Ti^dl" 

of  us  will  remember  the  shaking  of  knees,  the  trembling 
of  voice,  and  the  general  embarrassment  we  experienced 
when  we  first  appeared  before  a  public  audience.  The 
opportunity  to  shake  off  this  embarrassment  is  certainly 
as  important  in  our  school  program  as  many  of  the  other 
things  we  are  required  to  learn.  One  boy  who  had  just 
gone  through  this  ordeal  testifies :  "I  believe  I  have 
been  benefited  by  the  literary  exercises  more  than  by 
any  other  one  thing.  It  was  very  embarrassing  at  first, 
but  that  soon  wore  off."  We  should  give  every  boy  and 
girl  an  opportunity  to  dispel  this  fear  of  appearing  before 
an  audience,  since  at  some  time  in  life  he  or  she  may  be 
called  upon  to  speak  in  public. 

4.   AS  AN  AID  TO  THE  TEACHER  HIMSELF 

Teachers  Should  Identify  Themselves  with  Their 
Communities.  Many  a  teacher  has  failed  either  because 
he  did  not  know  the  value  of  the  community  center  as 
an  aid  to  his  work  or  because  he  was  too  timid  or  perhaps 
too  selfish  to  undertake  it.  Once  the  writer  asked  a 
teacher  how  she  liked  her  community.  "  Like  it? " 
she  said.  "  I  care  nothing  about  the  community.  I  am 
paid  to  teach  their  kids  and  when  I  want  to  have  a  good 
time  I  go  to  town.''  This  gu*l,  of  course,  was  among  that 
very  small  number  of  teachers  who  fail  to  take  teaching 
seriously.  We  are  convinced  that  the  great  majority 
of  our  rural  teachers  are  interested  in  their  communities 
and  are  willing  to  do  anything  in  their  power  to  extend 
their  influence  and  help  to  the  whole  community. 

By  Helping  Their  Communities,  Teachers  Help  Them- 
selves. What  some  teachers  do  not  understand  is  that 
by  helping  their  communities  they  help  themselves  as 


\^  :  y] ' .     ; ;  The  Cemmunity  Center 

teachers.  Suppose,  for  example,  a  teacher  goes  into  a 
community  where  he  is  entirely  unknown.  Perhaps 
the  conduct  and  success  of  his  predecessor  have  not 
been  such  as  to  inspire  a  high  regard  for  teachers.  A 
pupil  is  punished  for  some  violation  of  the  rules  of  the 
school  and  goes  home  with  his  report  of  the  same  to  his 
parents.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  under  such  circum- 
stances, the  parents  will  believe  the  child's  story.  Word 
is  passed  from  house  to  house,  the  story  becoming  worse 
every  time  it  is  told.  Pretty  soon  the  whole  neighborhood 
is  actively  opposed  to  this  teacher,  ready  to  believe  any 
report  that  they  may  hear  about  him.  On  the  other 
hand,  suppose  the  teacher  goes  into  his  community  a 
few  days  before  the  school  opens ;  that  he  visits  some  of 
the  homes  and  makes  the  acquaintance  of  as  many  of 
the  parents  as  possible ;  that  as  soon  as  he  can,  he  visits 
others;  and  that  very  soon  he  calls  them  all  together 
in  a  community  meeting.  If  he  has  been  able  to  impress 
them  favorably  and  to  win  their  confidence  and  respect, 
he  will  have  fortified  himself  against  any  misrepresenta- 
tions that  may  be  made.  He  will  also  have  won  the  co- 
operation of  the  parents  in  his  efforts  at  discipline  as  well 
as  in  teaching. 

Such  Work  Leads  to  Promotion.  Regarding  it  from 
a  purely  selfish  standpoint,  the  community  center  work, 
since  that  is  a  means  of  assuring  his  success  in  teaching, 
is  one  of  the  surest  roads  to  promotion.  If  a  teacher 
succeeds  in  a  difficult  school,  he  is  not  likely  to  have  any 
trouble  in  securing  a  more  desirable  school  later.  If  he 
is  desirous  of  teaching  in  a  city  or  graded  school,  his 
best  means  of  realizing  that  ambition  is  to  make  a  notable 
record  as  a  country  school  teacher.  For,  in  order  to  win 
promotion,  the  teacher  must  not  merely  succeed,  he  must 


An  Aid  to  Teaching  103 

excel.  The  writer  has  in  mind  a  rural  teacher  who  se- 
cured an  excellent  promotion  in  this  way.  This  young 
woman  was  not,  however,  ambitious  for  promotion,  either 
to  another  country  school  or  to  a  city  school;  she  was 
very  ambitious  to  teach  a  good  school  right  there  in  her 
home  neighborhood.  By  means  of  the  community  center 
she  made  such  a  notable  record  that  at  the  end  of  the 
year  she  was  invited  to  assume  the  larger  duties  of  county 
girls'  club  agent.  It  is  not  so  hard  to  teach  an  excep- 
tionally good  country  school  where  the  whole  community 
constitutes  the  school.  The  teacher  who  succeeds  with 
such  a  school  will  not  have  to  undergo  the  humiliation 
of  "  hunting  "  a  school;  he  will  be  in  demand. 

Another  point  worthy  of  consideration  in  this  connec- 
tion is  the  teacher's  own  need  of  associations  in  the  com- 
munity. It  is  not  only  the  parents  and  the  children  of 
the  country  who  need  recreation  and  social  intercourse, 
but  the  country  teacher  also.  By  means  of  the  com- 
munity center  he  will  have  the  pleasure  of  knowing  all 
the  people,  of  enjoying  their  fellowship,  and  of  becoming 
identified  with  the  community.  And  while  he  is  inter- 
esting the  people  in  community  improvements  and  in  all 
the  other  activities  of  the  community  center,  he  is  at  the 
same  time  providing  interests  for  himself.  The  natural 
conclusion  to  draw,  then,  is  that  even  from  a  purely  selfish 
point  of  view,  if  there  be  no  higher  motive,  the  teacher  owes 
it  to  himself  to  make  the  best  possible  use  of  the  commu- 
nity center. 

EXERCISES 

1.  Professor  B.  M.  Davis  refers  to  traditions  that  have  grown 
up  with  the  little  one-room  schoolhouse.  Make  two  lists  of  such 
traditions,  one  containing  those  which  may  be  fostered,  and  one 
containing  those  which  ought  to  be  corrected. 


104  The  Community  Center 

2.  Suppose  you  are  teaching  in  a  community  where  the  patrons 
desire  a  school  such  as  theirs  was  and  where  they  disapprove  of 
innovations  in  methods  of  teaching  and  of  school  government.  Out- 
line in  detail  the  method  which  you  would  follow  in  overcoming  that 
obstacle. 

3.  Both  as  regards  the  children  and  the  community,  contrast  the 
moral  effects  of  school  attendance  as  secured  by  legal  compulsion 
and  by  other  approved  methods. 

4.  Enumerate  the  good  effects  you  would  expect  the  community 
center  to  have  upon  the  work  of  your  school  (a)  in  its  immediate 
results  and  (6)  in  its  results  upon  the  lives  of  the  pupils  when  they 
become  citizens. 

5.  How  could  you  recommend  the  community  center  from  a  selfish 
standpoint?    Would  such  motive  justify  itself? 


CHAPTER  VIII 

FIRST  STEPS  IN  THE  COMMUNITY  CENTER 

1.   PREPARATORY   STEPS 

Caution  about  Organization.  A  word  of  caution  in 
regard  to  organization  has  already  been  offered  in  another 
connection.^  Mention  is  again  made  of  it  because,  in  plan- 
ning for  the  beginning  of  community  center  work,  the  or- 
ganization is  the  first  thing  that  is  usually  thought  of. 

We  may  safely  say  that  if  the  people  of  a  community 
have  been  accustomed  to  work  together  under  organized 
machinery,  then  a  mild  form  of  organization  may  well 
be  made  immediately  —  consisting,  say,  of  a  chairman 
and  a  secretary.  Even  then  the  constitution  and  by-laws 
may  be  left  entirely  alone.  A  meeting  of  country  people 
at  their  schoolhouse  needs  no  such  encumbrances.  They 
come  together  to  see  one  another  and  to  enjoy  the  exer- 
cises of  the  program.  They  will  not  go  far  wrong  in 
conducting  themselves  when  they  make  a  motion,  address 
the  chairman,  or  perform  their  parts  on  the  program. 
They  will  do  much  better  and  have  a  much  pleasanter 
time  if  left  free  to  follow  the  dictates  of  common  sense 
and  the  example  of  others. 

The  Teacher  May  Assume  Leadership.  When  the 
people  are  assembled  for  their  first  meeting,  the  teacher 
will  do  well  simply  to  call  them  to  order  at  the  proper 
time,  and  assume  the  chairmanship  or  leadership.  It 
would  be  appropriate  for  the  teacher  first  to  address  the 

1  Pages  51-53 
105 


106  The  Community  Center 

people,  extending  them  welcome,  explaining  the  purpose 
of  the  meeting  and  of  succeeding  meetings,  and  expressing 
his  desire  for  their  hearty  cooperation.  Then  he  may 
proceed  with  the  previously  arranged  program.  Before 
dismissing  the  meeting,  the  teacher  may  consult  the 
people  as  to  their  wishes  for  another  meeting  and  announce 
the  time  agreed  upon.  The  program  may  be  followed  by 
a  social  half  hour. 

As  to  the  wisdom  of  avoiding  a  formal  organization 
at  first,  the  teacher  assuming  the  leadership,  we  have 
very  strong  convictions.  In  this  opinion  we  find  Mr. 
W.  E.  Larson,  State  Supervisor  of  Rural  Schools  of  Wis- 
consin, in  full  sympathy.  In  a  personal  letter  Mr.  Lar- 
son says : 

It  is  unwise  in  many  localities  to  push  the  matter  of  organization 
too  early.  Many  people  are  not  ready  for  organized  effort  and  it 
takes  time  to  bring  this  about.  Meanwhile  the  teacher  continues 
to  have  meetings  from  time  to  time  in  the  schoolhouse,  at  which  the 
children  give  the  larger  part  of  the  program. 

In  her  article  ^  already  referred  to.  Miss  Margaret 
Woodrow  Wilson  expresses  the  same  idea,  with  reference 
to  the  community  center  for  the  city,  as  follows : 

It  remains  to  speak  of  the  keystone  of  the  structure  of  community 
center  organization  —  that  is,  the  community  secretary.  The  ideal 
community  secretary  is  the  superintendent  or  principal  of  the  school 
or  his  representative.  His  function  is  to  direct  and  coordinate,  and 
he  becomes  thereby  not  merely  the  master  of  the  children  intrusted 
to  him  for  educational  purposes,  but  also  the  servant  of  the  people 
who  support  him  in  his  position  of  authority  over  the  children. 

Now  in  the  one-teacher  country  school,  the  teacher  is 
superintendent,  principal,  assistant,  attendance  officer, 
nurse,  and  sometimes  janitor.     He  is  the  whole  organiza- 

* "  Getting  Together,"  Ladies*  Home  Journal,  December,  1917 


First  Steps  in  the  Community  Center     107 

tion.  There  is  every  reason  why  he  should  assume  leader- 
ship of  his  community.  If  for  no  other  reason,  he  should 
do  so  for  self -protection,  since  he  is  responsible  for  mak- 
ing the  community  center  a  success.  He  must  take  the 
initiative  in  this  matter,  since  the  people  themselves 
oftentimes  fail  to  understand  the  importance  of  choosing 
the  ablest  leader. 

Teach  a  Good  School.  The  reader  may  wonder  why 
we  make  the  teaching  of  a  good  school  one  of  the  first 
steps  in  the  rural  community  center.  We  do  so  because 
we  wish  to  emphasize  this  very  essential  element.  A 
teacher's  ability  to  organize  his  school  is  the  best  index 
of  his  ability  to  organize  his  community  and  to  assume 
its  leadership  for  community  cooperation.  If  he  can  win 
his  pupils  from  the  very  first  day,  he  will  have  their  con- 
fidence and  their  unfailing  loyalty.  He  will  at  the  same 
time  have  done  a  very  great  deal  towards  winning  the 
parents  as  well.  For  very  soon  an  impression  —  favorable 
or  unfavorable  —  goes  out  among  the  homes ;  and  an  un- 
favorable impression  is  very  hard  to  live  down.  On 
the  other  hand,  a  good  impression  m^y  carry  a  teacher 
over  many  a  trying  experience.  If  the  people  of  his 
community  get  the  impression  that  he  is  a  good  teacher 
and  that  he  is  among  them  not  for  salary  alone  but  also 
to  help  them  in  every  possible  way,  they  will  most  cer- 
tainly give  him  their  loyal  support  and  cooperation.  One 
of  the  first  steps,  therefore,  that  a  teacher  must  take  in 
organizing  his  community' is  to  organize  and  conduct 
his  school  so  as  to  place  himself  in  a  favorable  light  with 
the  people  among  whom  he  expects  to  work  out  community 
activities. 

Make  a  Survey  of  the  Community.  We  do  not  mean 
that  the  teacher  should  attempt  to  make  a  scientific 


108  The  Community  Center 

survey  of  his  community  —  certainly  not  immediately  — 
but  that  he  should  take  stock  of  its  social,  moral,  and 
intellectual  resources.  He  should  know,  for  example, 
what  organizations  already  exist,  if  any,  their  purpose 
and  success,  and  their  leaders.  He  should  know  the 
attitude  of  the  people  towards  the  school  and  towards 
the  general  progress  of  community  life.  He  should  know 
also  in  a  general  way  the  nature  of  any  factions,  quarrels, 
or  feuds,  so  that  he  may  regulate  his  conduct  with  refer- 
ence to  them.  He  will,  of  course,  learn  all  of  these  facts 
incidentally,  without  revealing  his  motives.  The  third 
step  in  building  up  the  rural  community  center  is,  then, 
to  acquire  as  much  knowledge  as  possible  of  the  com- 
munity —  its  aspirations,  its  advantages  and  disadvan- 
tages, and  its  past  experiences. 

See  the  Leaders.  After  the  teacher  has  assumed  com- 
munity leadership,  has  begun  to  teach  a  good  school, 
and  has  made  a  general  survey,  he  should  then,  if  not 
meanwhile,  see  those  who  are  generally  recognized  as 
community  leaders,  —  for  example,  the  ministers,  the 
editors,  the  heads  of  any  existing  organizations,  and  other 
prominent  citizens,  —  so  that  he  may  acquaint  them  with 
his  plans  and  enlist  their  cooperation.  The  test  of  his 
strength  as  well  as  the  measure  of  his  success  will  depend 
upon  his  ability  to  unite  all  the  forces  of  leadership  and 
talent  in  the  community  upon  such  plans  as  he  and  they, 
working  together,  may  make  and  attempt  to  carry  out. 
Of  course,  if  he  is  teaching  in  a  community  where  there 
are  no  recognized  leaders,  his  task  will  be  all  the  greater, 
for  he  will  have  to  set  about  developing  leaders.  How- 
ever, it  has  been  our  observation  that  a  community  can 
scarcely  be  found  that  does  not  have  some  generally 
recognized  leader. 


First  Steps  in  the  Community  Center     109 

Get  Acquainted  with  the  People.  After  soliciting  the 
cooperation  of  the  leaders,  the  teacher's  next  step  is  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  the  other  members  of  the 
community.  The  fact  that  he  is  the  teacher  makes  an 
introduction  unnecessary.  As  soon  as  possible  he  should 
call  upon  the  parents  in  their  homes.  By  doing  so  he 
will  win  many  loyal  helpers  to  his  cause.  Every  teacher 
should,  we  think,  attend  the  church  of  his  choice  and  be- 
come a  member  of,  or  still  better,  a  teacher  in,  the  Sunday 
School.  If  there  is  no  Sunday  School,  then  he  may  be 
able  to  organize  one.  The  church  and  Sunday  School 
are  excellent  places  to  meet  the  parents.  We  have  a 
strong  conviction  that  many  teachers  fail,  even  as  teach- 
ers, because  they  make  no  effort  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  parents.  Unless  one  can  enter  into  the  lives  of 
the  people  and,  for  the  time  being  at  least,  become  a  mem- 
ber of  the  community,  he  cannot  hope  even  to  teach  a 
good  school;  most  certainly  he  cannot  hope  to  organize 
the  people  for  commimity  center  work. 

2.  MAKING  A  BEGINNING 

The  First  Meeting.  Making  a  beginning  is  perhaps  the 
greatest  difficulty  to  overcome.  This  is  especially  true 
of  an  inexperienced  teacher.  The  difficulty  consists  very 
largely  in  getting  the  consent  of  one's  own  mind  to  under- 
take the  work,  on  account  of  misgivings  as  to  whether  the 
people  will  respond  to  the  call. 

In  the  average  rural  community,  however,  it  is  a  mis- 
take to  suppose  that  the  people  will  not  come  out  to  these 
meetings,  if  properly  approached;  for  many  teachers 
have  demonstrated  the  fact  that  they  will  come.  But 
the  teacher  must  make  the  first  move* 


110  The  Community  Center 

Getting  the  People  Out.  If  the  teacher  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  making  friends  with  the  parents,  he  will  be  in  a 
position  to  extend  to  them  strong  personal  invitations. 
In  these  days  it  is  possible,  even  in  the  country  districts, 
to  extend  personal  invitations  by  telephone.  Next  to 
the  teacher's  own  personal  invitations,  the  pupils  will 
prove  to  be  the  best  advertisers.  It  is  an  excellent  plan 
to  have  the  pupils  prepare  written  invitations  to  their 
parents  and  friends  and  deliver  these  in  person.  These 
invitations  afford  an  excellent  opportunity  to  do  some 
practical  teaching  in  the  art  of  letter  writing,  and  may  be 
prepared  during  the  regular  language  study  period. 

In  many  places  it  will  be  possible  to  have  the  program, 
or  at  least  a  notice  of  the  meeting,  printed  in  the  news- 
papers. It  is  a  good  plan,  also,  to  have  the  pupils  pre- 
pare a  write-up  of  the  meeting  as  a  class  exercise  in  Eng- 
lish composition  and  then  furnish  the  newspapers  with 
the  material.  The  privilege  of  preparing  these  reports 
may  be  offered  as  a  reward  for  faithfulness  and  excellence 
in  regular  class  work.  It  is  well,  also,  to  have  the  pupils 
print  by  hand  a  few  notices  to  be  posted  in  conspicuous 
places.  It  is  amazing  to  note  the  enthusiasm  children 
have  in  performing  such  tasks;  and  their  enthusiasm 
breeds  a  similar  enthusiasm  in  their  parents. 

The  Program.  The  teacher  should  exercise  his  very 
best  judgment  in  arranging  the  first  program.  It  is  best 
not  to  attempt  too  much  at  first.  If  the  community 
has  not  been  accustomed  to  such  exercises,  it  would  prob- 
ably be  advisable  to  have  the  children  render  a  short 
program  to  be  followed  by  a  social  hour.  It  is  an  excel- 
lent plan  to  have  the  pupils  repeat  some  of  the  dramatiza- 
tions which  they  have  already  worked  out  in  connection 
with  their  reading  classes. 


First  Steps  in  the  Community  Center     111 

Begin  with  the  Past  Social  Experiences  of  the  Com- 
munity. It  is  a  good  principle  in  pedagogy  to  begin 
with  the  previous  experiences  of  the  learner  and  proceed 
from  the  known  to  the  related  unknown.  The  same 
principle  is  remarkably  applicable  to  rural  community 
center  work.  We  are  convinced  that  a  great  many  teach- 
ers have  failed  with  the  community  meetings  just  at  this 
point.  The  phrase  "  community  center  "  is  itself  foreign 
to  the  vocabulary  of  the  average  country  person.  For 
this  reason  it  may  be  advisable  to  speak  of  the  proposed 
meeting  as  "  a  school  literary,"  **  spelling-bee,"  or  "de- 
bate " ;  for  then  the  people  will  understand  it.  It  is 
very  important  that,  in  announcing  the  meeting  and  in 
the  conduct  of  the  same,  the  teacher  use  such  phrases 
and  plan  such  activities  as  will  fall  easily  into  the  pre- 
vious experiences  of  the  people.  If  the  spelling-bee  was 
once  popular  in  that  community,  let  the  first  program 
be  an  old-time  spelling  match,  and  call  it  that.  Or, 
perhaps  the  people  like  to  debate.  If  so,  begin  with  a 
debate,  filling  in  with  readings,  music,  social  games,  etc. 
The  aim  of  this  first  program  should  be  to  afford  the  great- 
est possible  enjoyment  with  the  least  possible  embarrass- 
ment. The  people  should  feel  that  they  have  had  a  good 
time  and  that  by  all  means  they  must  have  other  meetings. 

Be  a  Good  Host.  Of  course,  the  enjoyment  of  the 
meeting  will  depend  very  largely  upon  the  teacher's  skill 
as  host.  If  he  is  a  good  host,  he  will  be  able  to  make  the 
guests  feel  as  much  at  ease  at  his  school  as  they  would 
in  his  home.  He  is,  therefore,  responsible  for  their  enter- 
tainment. But  he  may  best  entertain  by  providing 
the  means  whereby  the  people  may  entertain  themselves. 
That  should  be  his  guiding  thought  in  arranging  this 
first  program. 


112  The  Community  Center 

Be  Patient.  It  has  been  suggested  (1)  that  the 
teacher  should  ordinarily  avoid  formal  organization  and 
assume  the  leadership  of  his  community  at  its  first  meet- 
ing ;  (2)  that  he  should  do  his  best  to  teach  a  good  school 
from  the  very  first  day ;  (3)  that  he  should  take  stock  of 
his  community ;  (4)  that  he  should  interest  the  commu- 
nity leaders  in  his  plans ;  (5)  that  he  should  make  the 
acquaintance  of  as  many  of  the  parents  as  possible ;  (6) 
that  he  should  make  his  first  meeting  satisfying  to  the 
people;  and  (7)  that  he  should  make  his  first  program 
fit  into  the  previous  experiences  of  the  community. 
Finally,  it  may  be  necessary  to  exercise  great  patience 
in  dealing  with  the  patrons  in  these  meetings.  Perhaps 
not  so  many  came  as  were  expected;  then  the  teacher 
will  need  to  see  the  others  before  the  next  meeting,  tell 
them  how  badly  they  are  needed,  and  ask  them  to  come 
next  time.  Maybe  the  program  did  not  meet  expecta- 
tions ;  then  this  experience  will  be  the  teacher's  guide  in 
making  up  the  next  program.  Everything  cannot  be 
accomplished  all  at  once.  The  element  of  time  is  very 
important  and  must  be  reckoned  with.  If  disappoint- 
ments come,  they  should  be  disregarded  except  in  so  far 
as  the  experience  gained  thereby  helps  toward  future 
successes.  The  main  thing  is  for  the  teacher  to  be 
patient  and  keep  moving  forward,  leading  the  parents 
with  him.  He  will  be  able  in  time  greatly  to  enrich  their 
lives  and  to  help  them  discover  new  interests  and  acquire 
new  and  higher  aspirations. 

How  One  Teacher  Began  and  What  She  Accomplished. 
We  have  in  mind  one  teacher  who  succeeded  admirably 
with  the  community  center  by  following  out  the  sugges- 
tions which  have  just  been  made.  Hers  was  the  average 
rural  community.    She  had  no  superior  advantages  of 


First  Steps  in  the  Community  Center     113 

training  or  experience;  but  she  had  a  strong  determina- 
tion to  succeed.  Her  first  program  was  "  Ye  Old-Time 
School  Days,"  which,  by  the  way,  is  a  very  good  one 
for  a  beginning.  She  had  been  a  good  advertiser, 
the  children  being  her  best  means  for  this  purpose.  She 
had  seen  personally  a  great  many  of  the  older  people  in 
her  community,  because  this  program  appealed  partic- 
ularly to  them.  Indeed,  she  managed  to  have  this  whole 
program  with  one  exception  given  by  persons  fifty  years 
of  age  or  over.    It  was  as  follows : 

1.  Songs  —  all  singing  familiar  songs 

2.  Devotion,  led  by  local  minister 

3.  "The  Kind  of  School  I  Had,"  by  a  man  sixty  years  old 

4.  "How  We  Kept  Warm,"  by  a  man  eighty  years  old 

5.  "What  We  Got  When  We  Were  Bad  Boys  and  Girls,"  by  a 

grandmother 

6.  "The  Kind  of  Teacher  I  Had,"  by  a  citizen 

7.  "What  I  Learned  When  I  Was  a  Boy,"  by  a  citizen 

8.  "Why  I  Would  Rather  Be  a  Boy  To-day,"  by  a  seventh-grade 

boy 

9.  Songs,  followed  by  social  half  hour. 

These  folks  had  such  a  good  time  relating  their  early 
experiences  and  the  children  enjoyed  their  stories  so  much 
that  there  was  no  question  as  to  whether  they  should 
have  other  meetings;  they  demanded  other  meetings. 
The  next  time  they  came  together  the  teacher  very  skill- 
fully called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  school  had  no 
library  and  no  pictures  on  the  walls,  and  suggested  that 
they  might  have  a  box-supper  to  raise  money  for  their 
purchase.  All  were  agreed.  In  two  weeks  they  had  the 
box-supper  and  raised  over  fifty  dollars.  We  cannot 
relate  the  whole  story,  but  by  the  end  of  the  term  this 
community  had  purchased  six  approved  pictures,  which 


114  The  Community  Center 

the  teacher  and  pupils  framed;  had  provided  a  library 
of  one  hundred  volumes;  had  painted  the  inside  walls 
of  the  schoolroom ;  had  furnished  curtains  for  the  win- 
dows ;  and  had  installed  lights  for  the  evening  meetings. 
The  effects  upon  the  school  and  upon  the  community 
itself  can  easily  be  inferred. 

EXERCISES 

1.  Think  of  a  community  that  you  know  and  decide  whether 
an  organization  should  be  effected  for  community  center  work. 
Describe  the  conditions  which  led  to  your  decision. 

2.  Criticize  the  author's  suggestions  under  "Preparatory  Steps." 
How  can  you  improve  upon  these  suggestions  with  reference  to  the 
community  considered  under  exercise  1? 

3.  What  should  be  the  attitude  of  the  community  center  towards 
church  activities? 

4.  Prepare  a  program  for  a  first  meeting  of  a  community  center 
in  a  community  which  you  know.  Explain  why  you  prepare  this 
program  in  the  form  you  have  chosen. 

5.  Enumerate  the  things  that  you  would  do  at  this  first  meeting 
to  make  the  people  desire  other  meetings. 

6.  Does  your  program  aim  to  entertain  the  people  or  does  it 
provide  the  means  whereby  they  may  entertain  themselves? 


CHAPTER  IX 

SPECIAL   SCHOOL   PROGRAMS 

1.   DAY  PROGRAMS 

Popularity  of  Evening  Exercises.  In  the  discussion 
of  the  community  center  thus  far,  we  have  had  in  mind 
mainly  evening  programs  made  up  of  activities  entirely 
outside  of  the  school  work.  In  most  small  communities 
these  evening  exercises  will  prove  to  be  the  more  popular, 
as  their  busy  lives  make  it  difficult  for  farmers  and  their 
wives  to  attend  any  kind  of  day  meetings. 

Advantages  of  Day  Meetings.  In  several  states  these 
community  meetings  are  held  at  the  schoolhouse  during 
school  hours,  the  children,  for  a  time,  continuing  their 
regular  class  exercises.  This  plan  has  the  advantage 
(1)  of  acquainting  the  parents  with  the  work  of  their 
school,  (2)  of  inspiring  the  children  to  do  better  work, 
and  (3)  of  stimulating  the  teachers.  Wisconsin  has 
probably  accomplished  more  than  any  other  state  with 
the  special  school  programs  which  include  regular  school 
work.  The  Wisconsin  plan  has  been  so  well  described 
in  a  bulletin  issued  by  State  Superintendent  C.  P.  Gary 
that  we  reproduce  some  of  the  outlines  and  suggestions 
as  follows : 

2.   THE  WISCONSIN  PLAN^ 

Reading.  A  ten-  to  fifteen-minute  exercise  with  a 
reading  class  well  prepared  is  an  entertaining  feature. 

1  Gary,  C.  P. :  Social  and  Civic  Work  in  Country  Communities, 
1913.  Section  2  of  this  chapter  is  reproduced  from  the  foregoing 
bulletin  by  permission. 

115 


116  The  Community  Center 

The  teacher  may  tell  the  class  some  time  before  the  pro- 
gram is  to  be  held  (from  two  to  four  weeks  perhaps) 
that  each  pupil  will  read  one  of  the  lessons  between  pages 

and (including  from  20  to  40  pages).     The  result 

will  be  that  the  children  will  do  their  best  to  master 
these  pages  and  will  be  able  to  read  with  expression.  In 
this  way  the  preparation  for  the  special  program  is  really 
an  incentive  to  do  the  best  possible  work  in  the  regu- 
lar reading  class. 

Occasionally  the  teacher  may  use  reading  material 
outside  of  the  regular  textbook.  Suitable  selections  from 
library  books  containing  stories,  descriptions,  etc.,  can 
be  used  with  good  results. 

An  exercise  may  be  given  with  the  primary  reading 
class  (beginners).  Sentences  may  be  written  on  the 
blackboard  and  the  children  may  act  them  out.  Word, 
phrase,  phonic,  and  sentence  drills  may  be  given. 

Certain  conversational  selections  in  the  reading  books 
may  be  rendered  in  a  very  entertaining  way  by  having 
different  children  "  take  parts  "  and  one  child  read  the 
narrative  parts  of  the  story.  When  trained  in  this 
way,  the  children  become  alert  and  the  practice  does 
much  to  improve  the  expression  of  the  children  in  their 
reading. 

Too  much  of  this  work  should  not  be  put  on  any  one 
program.     One  reading  exercise  is  usually  enough. 

Language.  A  part  of  the  regular  language  work  of  the 
school  is  to  memorize  certain  selections.  These  may  be 
recited  as  part  of  the  school  program. 

All  through  the  course  there  should  be  story-telling. 
These  stories  which  they  tell  in  the  regular  classes  may  be 
told  in  the  special  programs.  In  selecting  stories  for  the 
primary  children  especially,  care  should  be  exercised  not 


special  School  Programs  117 

to  make  selections  that  would  in  any  way  cause  offense. 
There  are  so  many  good  stories  to  tell  that  there  is  no  need 
of  bringing  in  any  that  might  be  questionable  in  certain 
communities. 

A  part  of  the  language  work  consists  of  a  dramatiza- 
tion of  stories.  When  these  are  well  learned,  they  may  be 
used  as  dialogues  and  thus  bring  about  a  good  and  easy 
expression  on  the  part  of  the  pupils.  When  stories  are 
dramatized  in  this  way,  it  is  well  to  have  some  child  tell 
the  story  first,  as  some  of  the  people  in  the  audience  may 
not  be  familiar  with  it. 

The  children  read  books  from  the  library.  Some  of 
these  books  are  very  interesting  and  pupils  delight  in 
telling  about  them.  A  child  may  be  placed  on  the  pro- 
gram to  tell  about  a  book  that  he  has  enjoyed. 

The  larger  pupils  especially  may  be  placed  on  the  pro- 
gram to  tell  about  certain  things  they  have  studied  in 
school.  Topics  from  history,  geography,  or  agriculture 
are  suitable  for  these  talks. 

A  roll  call  to  which  the  children  respond  by  giving  mem- 
ory gems,  quotations,  etc.,  is  a  usable  feature. 

Some  of  the  most  interesting  compositions  written  by 
the  pupils  in  school  may  be  read. 

Arithmetic.  A  blackboard  exercise  may  be  given  in 
which  the  children  show  their  skill  in  handling  a  certain 
class  of  problems.  These  problems  should  not  be  compli- 
cated and  should  be  of  such  a  nature  that  the  children 
can  readily  perform  the  operations. 

Exercises  in  the  writing  of  numbers,  in  adding,  sub- 
tracting, multiplying,  and  dividing,  in  simple  fractions 
and  decimals  are  suitable  for  this  kind  of  work.  Not 
more  than  ten  minutes  should  be  used  for  any  one  exercise. 
The  children  should  be  carefully  drilled  beforehand  so 


118  The  Community  Center 

that  no  time  is  wasted  in  going  to  and  from  the  board, 
in  erasing,  etc. 

An  exercise  in  mental  arithmetic  is  especially  valuable. 
In  this  work,  care  should  be  taken  not  to  make  the  prob- 
lems too  difficult  for  the  pupils.  The  work  should  be 
carried  on  briskly. 

A  few  minutes'  drill  for  the  younger  ones  makes  an 
interesting  feature. 

In  this  work  special  effort  should  be  made  to  have  work 
that  can  easily  be  understood  by  all  of  the  people  present. 
If  this  work  is  properly  conducted,  the  teacher  can 
incidentally  interest  the  non-attending  boys  and  girls  of 
the  community  in  the  work  of  the  school  by  taking  up 
some  certain  line  of  work  such  as  hay  problems,  land 
problems,  etc.,  and  showing  what  the  children  who  are 
attending  school  are  doing. 

Spelling.  A  ten-minute  exercise  with  a  group  of 
children  makes  an  interesting  feature  on  the  school  pro- 
gram. The  teacher  may  announce  to  the  children  a 
month  before  the  program  is  to  be  given  that  a  certain 
group  will  spell  for  ten  minutes.  The  words  that  will  be 
used  in  this  exercise  may  be  designated  so  that  the  children 
may  master  this  list.  These  children  will  then  make 
the  best  effort  possible  to  remain  standing  during  the  ten 
minutes.  In  this  list  should  be  included  words  from  the 
other  subjects,  which  they  need  to  learn. 

A  blackboard  exercise  in  spelling  may  also  be  con- 
ducted, using  a  list  which  the  children  have  had  a  chance 
to  master. 

Music.  Every  school  has  some  singing.  The  songs 
that  the  children  learn  to  sing  in  their  regular  school  work 
may  be  put  on  the  special  school  program.  The  sugges- 
tion is  made  that  the  songs  which  the  children  learn  to 


special  School  Programs  119 

sing  should  be  appropriate  to  childhood,  or  they  should 
be  songs  which  are  worth  knowing.  The  teaching  of 
many  of  the  popular  songs,  which  in  some  sections  is  getting 
to  be  common,  should  rather  be  discouraged. 

Demonstration  Work.  Whenever  a  child  has  learned 
to  do  something  successfully,  he  can  be  placed  on  the 
program  to  do  that  work.  A  knot-tying  contest  may  be 
an  interesting  feature  if  the  children  have  become  success- 
ful in  the  tying  of  the  various  kinds  of  knots. 

Teachers  who  have  done  any  work  of  this  kind  will 
be  able  to  adapt  some  of  this  work  to  the  special  program. 
Too  many  presentations,  however,  should  not  be  given 
on  any  one  program. 

Current  Events.  In  many  schools  the  teachers  are 
asking  their  children  to  report  important  events  and  to 
give  short  talks  on  them.  Some  of  the  larger  children 
in  school  may  be  placed  on  the  program  in  this  way. 
Topics  of  civic,  geographical,  historical,  biographical, 
or  hygienic  interest  may  be  presented. 

Gymnastic  Drills  and  Games.  It  frequently  happens 
that  the  children  cannot  play  outside.  During  recess 
the  teacher  can  profitably  spend  the  time  by  giving  the 
children  a  few  simple  drills.  These  drills  can  then  be 
presented  at  the  special  school  programs.  When  well 
learned,  they  have  great  value  and  are  an  entertaining 
feature. 

Exhibits  of  Written  Work.  It  may  add  to  the  interest 
of  the  people  in  the  school  to  have  exhibited  on  the  walls 
of  the  schoolroom  some  of  the  work  of  the  pupils.  If 
there  is  sufficient  room,  it  is  well  to  ask  the  parents  to 
take  a  little  time  for  inspecting  this  work.  It  is  un- 
necessary to  mention  here  what  these  exhibits  might 
be. 


120  The  Community  Center 

Programs  May  Contain  Talks  on  School  Work  by 
Outsiders.  When  the  people  are  gathered  together  in 
the  schoolroom  to  listen  to  the  children  and  to  see  the 
work  done  by  the  school,  it  is  well  to  have  some  adult 
give  a  short  talk  on  some  phase  of  school  work.  It  is 
always  well  for  the  teacher  to  speak  to  the  parents  and 
call  their  attention  to  certain  matters  pertaining  to  the 
common  interest  of  the  home  and  school.  Occasionally 
the  county  superintendent  or  some  other  educational 
leader  may  be  secured  who  can  address  the  parents. 
These  talks  as  a  rule  should  be  short  and  to  the  point. 
The  speaker  should  remember  that  he  has  a  mixed  audi- 
ence and  should  try  to  say  something  that  is  both  interest- 
ing and  instructive.  An  occasion  of  this  kind  should 
not  be  treated  lightly,  and  the  person  who  speaks  should 
not  feel  that  he  is  there  simply  to  "fill  in  time."  In 
all  these  talks  there  should  be  an  optimistic  spirit,  although 
it  may  be  necessary  at  times  to  criticize  certain  tendencies 
on  the  part  of  the  children  and  parents.  The  speaker 
should  endeavor  to  awaken  in  the  parents  a  desire  to 
give  their  children  the  best  possible  development.  In 
some  communities,  where  many  of  the  people  are  unable 
to  understand  the  English  language,  a  short  talk  may  be 
given  in  a  foreign  language. 

Programs  for  Special  Occasions.  The  foregoing  sug- 
gestions are  for  the  ordinary  school  programs,  —  those 
programs  that  may  be  held  at  any  time  during  the  year. 
Occasionally,  however,  the  community  desires  to  have  a 
program  commemorating  some  special  day,  such  as 
Memorial  Day,  Washington's  Birthday,  etc.  On  an 
occasion  of  this  kind  the  material  should,  of  course,  be 
suited  to  the  special  day,  and  exercises  in  arithmetic, 
spelling,  etc.,  should  be  omitted.    Much  of  the  program, 


Special  School  Programs  121 

however,  may  be  taken  from  the  regular  work  of  the 
school.  The  recitations  and  stories  may  be  worked  into 
the  regular  language  classes,  special  readings  may  be 
taken  up  in  the  reading  classes,  and  the  songs  practiced 
by  the  school. 

Visiting  Days.  In  some  communities  the  teachers 
have  what  are  known  as  visiting  days.  The  teachers 
and  pupils  invite  the  parents  to  come  to  the  school  to 
spend  the  afternoon.  Regular  school  work  is  carried 
on  so  that  the  parents  may  see  the  work  the  children  are 
doing.  After  the  regular  work  of  the  school  has  been 
finished,  a  social  hour  follows  in  which  the  parents  and 
teachers  become  acquainted. 

A  Few  General  Suggestions.  Whenever  a  program 
is  given  in  which  the  children  take  part  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  the  work  of  the  school,  every  child  should  do 
something.  The  teacher  should,  however,  avoid  going 
to  the  other  extreme  of  having  some  pupils  on  the  pro- 
gram several  times. 

Do  not  have  too  long  or  too  difficult  programs.  It  is 
better  to  have  a  short  meeting  and  have  every  one  go 
home  satisfied  than  to  draw  the  meeting  out  and  have 
people  tired. 

The  work  should  be  well  presented  and  it  should  be 
worth  while.  Do  not  have  the  children  attempt  to  give 
something  that  is  too  difficult  or  too  complex  for  them. 
It  is  better  to  have  something  well  presented,  even  if  it 
is  simple  and  easy. 

Plan  the  programs  very  carefully.  Have  a  system. 
Arrange  the  program  in  such  a  way  that  there  will  be  the 
minimum  loss  of  time  between  the  parts.  Seat  the 
children  in  such  a  way  that  they  can  render  their  parts 
to  the  greatest  advantage. 


122  The  Community  Center 

Where  a  large  number  of  children  take  part  in  the 
program,  it  is  well  to  arrange  the  program  by  groups.  If 
there  are  thirty  or  more  children  to  take  part,  all  those 
who  are  in  the  primary  form  may  be  marched  up  to  the 
front  together  to  give  their  songs,  recitations,  stories, 
etc.,  as  one  section  of  the  program.  This  will  also  aid 
those  who  are  timid. 


3.   PARTICIPATION    BY    PARENTS    IN    SPECIAL    PROGRAMS 

It  occurs  to  us  that  part  of  the  time  assigned  to  these 
special  school  programs  might  well  be  devoted  to  debates, 
spelling-bees,  literary  exercises,  etc.,  where  the  parents 
would  take  a  prominent  part.  A  debate  between  a  parent 
on  one  side  and  a  schoolboy  on  the  other  makes  a  very 
interesting  number  on  a  program.  A  spelling-bee,  in 
which  the  opposing  teams  are  chosen  in  the  old-fashioned 
way  by  two  "  captains,"  is  an  exercise  in  which  all  can 
join.  For  part  of  the  program  social  games  and  physical 
contests  could  be  arranged. 

Special  School  Programs  May  Be  Given  at  Night. 
Furthermore,  if  the  parents  cannot  attend  a  special 
school  program  during  regular  school  hours,  let  an  occa- 
sional evening  program  be  devoted  to  a  regular  session 
of  the  school,  so  that  the  parents  can  then  inspect  the 
work  of  their  children. 

EXERCISES 

1.  What  are  the  chief  advantages  of  the  Wisconsin  plan  of  special- 
day  programs?     Do  you  detect  any  disadvantages  of  that  plan? 

2.  What  kind  of  communities  would  benefit  most  by  a  plan 
whereby  the  regular  class  work  of  the  school  is  conducted  by  the 
rej;iilar  teachers  at  an  occasional  evening  gathering? 


Special  School  Programs  123 

3.  Show  how  each  plan,  1  and  2,  is  in  keeping  with  the  general 
principles  and  policies  of  the  community  center. 

4.  Enumerate  the  chief  advantages  of  keeping  "open  house," 
or  visiting  days.  Who  is  likely  to  benefit  most,  the  children,  the 
teacher,  or  the  parents? 

5.  What  effects  are  visiting  days  and  special-day  programs  likely 
to  have  upon  school  discipline?  What  effect  upon  the  children's 
general  attitude  towards  their  own  work? 


CHAPTER  X 

MISCELLANEOUS  ACTIVITIES  WITHIN  THE 
COMMUNITY   CENTER 

1.    PARENT-TEACHER  ASSOCIATIONS 

The  rural  community  center  may  take  the  form  of  a 
parent-teacher  association  and  group  all  of  its  activities 
around  this  organization  for  the  attainment  of  its  pur- 
poses; but,  in  general,  the  parent-teacher  association 
will  constitute  one  of  the  special  organizations  within 
the  community  center. 

In  Rural  Districts.  Heretofore,  parent-teacher  asso- 
ciations have  been  confined  mainly  to  the  cities  and  larger 
towns.  With  the  growth  of  the  community  center  move- 
ment in  rural  districts,  however,  there  can  be  no  good 
reason  why  the  parent-teacher  association  may  not  very 
soon  become  an  integral  and  vital  part  of  that  movement. 

The  National  Congress  of  Mothers.  In  1897,  the 
National  Congress  of  Mothers  was  organized.  For  the 
past  twenty-two  years,  this  organization  has  aimed  to 
link  together  the  parent-teacher  associations  of  the 
country  "  for  conference  and  united  work,"  and  to  ex- 
tend the  work  of  these  associations  by  the  organization 
of  new  associations  wherever  possible  and  by  the  organ- 
ization of  state  congresses  of  mothers.  This  national 
organization  has  aimed  always  to  make  these  associations 
coextensive  with  the  school  systems  of  the  several  states. 
Its  platform  is  expressed  in  its  constitution,  as  follows : 

124 


Miscellaneous  Activities  125 

The  objects  of  this  congress  shall  be  to  raise  the  standards  of  home 
life;  to  give  young  people  opportunities  to  learn  how  to  care  for 
children,  so  that  when  they  assume  the  duties  of  parenthood  they 
may  have  some  conception  of  the  methods  which  will  best  develop 
the  physical,  intellectual,  and  spiritual  nature  of  the  child ;  to  bring 
into  closer  relations  the  home  and  the  school,  that  parents  and  teach- 
ers may  cooperate  intelligently  in  the  education  of  the  child;  to 
surround  the  childhood  of  the  whole  world  with  that  wise,  loving 
care  in  the  impressionable  years  of  life  that  will  develop  good  citi- 
zens; to  use  systematic  and  earnest  effort  to  this  end,  through  the 
formation  of  parent-teacher  associations  in  every  public  school  and 
elsewhere,  through  the  establishment  of  kindergartens,  and  in  the 
distribution  of  literature  which  will  be  of  practical  use  to  parents 
in  the  problems  of  home  life ;  to  secure  more  adequate  laws  for  the 
care  of  blameless  and  dependent  children ;  and  to  carry  the  mother- 
love  and  mother-thought  into  all  that  concerns  childhood. 

Child  Welfare  Magazine.  Since  its  organization,  the 
Congress  of  Mothers  has  steadily  increased  its  educa- 
tional program  for  parents.  It  has  established  the  Child 
Welfare  Magazine,  which  each  month  publishes  one  or 
more  articles  suitable  for  the  program  of  a  parent-teacher 
association.  It  has  typewritten  papers,  which  are  graded 
for  different  needs  and  which  furnish  valuable  educational 
material  for  any  parent-teacher  association,  thus  making 
it  independent  of  speakers. 

United  States  Bureau  of  Education  —  Home  Division. 
Closely  associated  with  the  National  Congress  of  Mothers 
is  the  Home  Education  Division  of  the  United  States 
Bureau  of  Education.  Dr.  P.  P.  Claxton,  United  States 
Commissioner  of  Education,  has  said  of  this  division : 

It  is  our  intention  to  issue  bulletins  and  literature,  practical  in 
their  character,  which  will  be  available  to  every  home.  The  National 
Congress  of  Mothers  and  parent-teacher  associations  have  agreed 
to  assist  the  Bureau  of  Education  in  this  work  and  can  supply  much 
literature  not  available  through  this  office. 


126  The  Community  Center 

Parent-teacher  associations,  therefore,  have  available 
the  combined  assistance  of  the  National  Congress  of 
Mothers  and  the  United  States  ^Bureau  of  Education. 

Free  Literature.  Most  of  the  bulletins  of  the  United 
States  Bureau  of  Education  dealing  with  child  welfare 
and  parent-teacher  associations  are  free.  Parent-teacher 
associations,  mothers'  circles,  or  child-study  circles  may 
receive  the  literature  and  other  helps  of  the  National 
Congress  of  Mothers  by  becoming  members  and  paying 
ten  cents  per  capita  a  year.  The  organization  applying 
for  membership  should  send  a  list  of  the  names  of  officers 
and  members  to  the  state  secretary  where  there  is  a 
state  congress,  and  a  duplicate  to  the  National  Secre- 
tary, 910  Loan  and  Trust  Building,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Even  if  the  organization  does  not  wish  to  become  a 
member  of  the  Congress,  it  may  receive  many  leaflets 
and  other  helps  upon  application  to  the  National  Sec- 
retary. 

A  Constitution  for  Parent-Teacher  Associations.  It 
may  be  recalled  that  we  have  already  cautioned  against 
immediately  adopting  a  constitution  and  by-laws  for  the 
community  center.  But  as  the  parent-teacher  associa- 
tion represents  a  differentiation  of  the  community  center, 
a  constitution  and  by-laws  may  well  be  formulated. 
They  may  help  in  the  conduct  of  the  business  of  the 
organization  and  at  the  same  time  may  provide  training 
in  organizing  and  directing  similar  work.  The  Congress 
of  Mothers  (1914)  has  published  the  following  suggested 
constitution : 

Article  I 

This  society  shall  be  called  the  Parents*  Circle  (or  the  Parent- 
Teacher  Association)  of  the School. 


Miscellaneous  Activities  127 


Article  II 

Its  object  shall  be  to  study  the  welfare  of  the  child  in  home,  school, 
and  community  and  create  a  better  mutual  understanding  between 
parents  and  teachers  and  their  cooperation  in  all  work  for  the  interest 
of  the  children. 

Article  III 

Any  one  interested  in  the  purpose  for  which  the  club  is  organized 
is  qualified  for  membership. 

Article  IV 

The  officers  of  the  circle  shall  be  a  President,  a  Vice-President,  a 

Secretary,  and  a  Treasurer,  elected  annually  at  the meeting  of 

the  year. 

Article  V 

Regular  meetings  of  the  circle  shall  be  held  on  the afternoon 

(or  evening)  of  each  month.     Special  meetings  by  order  of . 


Article  VI 

This  constitution  may  be  amended  at  any  annual  meeting  or  by 
unanimous  consent  at  any  regular  meeting  when  previous  notice  has 
been  given. 

By-laws  may  be  made  to  meet  immediate  needs.  They 
should  govern  the  election  of  officers,  their  duties,  the 
payment  of  dues,  etc. 

Appropriate  Subjects  for  Discussion. 

The  physical  care  of  the  child  in  the  home. 
The  combined  responsibility  of  mothers  and  teachers. 
How  can  the  home  help  the  school  ? 
Honoring  the  child's  individuality  in  the  home. 
How  to  safeguard  American  citizenship  through  the  school  and 
the  home. 

Effect  of  indiscriminate  associations  among  children. 


128  The  Community  Center 

When  is  a  mother  a  good  mother? 

How  to  insure  the  cooperation  of  teacher  and  parents. 

How  shall  the  school  and  the  home  combine  to  cultivate  in  children 
habits  of  reading  the  right  kind  of  books? 

Common  diseases  of  children  and  how  to  treat  them. 

How  can  parents  assist  school  and  health  officers  in  preventing 
the  spread  of  contagious  diseases  ? 

Effects  of  physical  environment  upon  the  work  of  the  school. 

Who  shall  impart  religious  instruction  to  the  children,  the  Sunday- 
School  only,  or  the  parents  and  teachers  also? 

How  to  make  studying  and  reading  in  the  home  attractive  to 
children. 

How  much  assistance  should  parents  give  their  children  in  the 
preparation  of  their  school  tasks? 

How  parents  often  hinder  the  work  of  the  school. 

The  effect  of  school  discipline  upon  home  discipline,  and  vice 
versa. 

How  to  relate  school  work  to  the  industrial  activities  of  the  com- 
munity. 

How  the  home  may  help  to  increase  school  attendance. 

What  is  the  greatest  need  in  this  community? 

Local  and  General  Work.  Dr.  Charles  A.  Wagner, 
formerly  Commissioner  of  Education  of  Delaware,  classi- 
fies the  work  of  parent-teacher  associations  as  local  and 
general.  Among  local  activities,  Dr.  Wagner  suggests 
school  attendance,  medical  inspection  of  school  children, 
standardizing  schools,  school  equipment,  the  school 
beautified,  school  lunches,  home  gardening,  club  work, 
school  meets,  school  savings  banks,  consolidation  of 
schools,  school  library,  holiday  celebrations,  and  school 
sanitation;  while  among  general  activities  he  mentions 
the  school  tax  problem,  state  health  inspection,  teachers' 
pensions,  instruction  in  special  subjects,  school  super- 
vision, good  roads,  etc.  Any  or  all  of  these  problems 
may  be  considered  by  the  community  center.  If  the 
parent-teacher   association   be   the   community   center, 


Miscellaneous  Activities  l29 

then,  of  course,  it  has  this  whole  field  of  usefulness  as  its 
reason  for  existence;  while,  if  it  be  a  differentiation  of 
the  community  center,  it  would  perhaps  do  well  to  con- 
sider only  those  phases  of  the  community's  needs  which 
concern  the  cooperation  of  the  school  and  the  home,  as 
its  name  implies. 

Cooperating  Agencies.  The  parent-teacher  associa- 
tion will,  of  course,  cooperate  with  the  church,  the  press, 
the  grange,  the  farmers'  institute,  the  extension  service 
of  the  state  college  of  agriculture,  the  state  board  of 
agriculture,  the  county  farm  agents,  the  state  board  of 
health  and  its  local  organizations,  and  with  such  other 
agencies  as  seek  to  promote  its  principles. 

2.   FARMERS'   CLUBS 

The  Grange.  The  Grange,  or  Patrons  of  Husbandry, 
is  in  the  nature  of  a  farmers'  club.  It  was  organized 
in  1867  by  Oliver  H.  Kelley,  a  native  of  Boston,  who  in 
1866  was  selected  by  the  National  Government  to  make 
a  toiir  of  inspection  through  the  devastated  South  for 
the  purpose  of  studying  its  conditions  and  resources. 
Soon  after  his  return,  he  and  six  other  interested  men  for- 
mulated the  Grange,  the  purpose  of  which  was  twofold : 
to  advance  the  cause  of  education  among  farmers,  and  to 
create  the  spirit  of  peace  and  brotherhood  between  the 
North  and  the  South.  This  organization  has  become 
nation-wide.  By  1873  the  membership  had  reached  a  half 
million  and  it  is  now  more  than  a  million.  In  speaking 
of  the  extent  and  influence  of  this  organization  Dr.  Kenyon 
L.  Butterfield  says :  ^  "To  enumerate  the  achievements 
of  the  Grange  would  be  to  recall  the  progress  of  agriculture 

1  Chapters  in  Rural  Progress. 


130  The  Community  Center 

during  the  last  third  of  a  century."  The  Grange  has 
undoubtedly,  since  its  existence,  been  the  deciding  influ- 
ence in  the  passage  of  a  great  many  progressive  laws 
relating  to  social,  moral,  and  economic  rural  life. 

Educational  and  Social  Work.  But  perhaps  the  edu- 
cational and  social  work  of  the  Grange  has  been  the  chief 
source  of  its  usefulness.  It  has  revolutionized  the  social 
life  of  many  communities.  It  is  in  itself  a  rural  com- 
munity center.  And  where  a  grange  is  found,  it  may 
be  possible  for  the  school  to  unite  with  it  in  community 
center  activities ;  no  other  farmers*  club,  certainly,  would 
be  necessary.  But  in  communities  where  a  subordinate 
grange  is  not  found,  then  a  farmer's  club  will  find  a  place 
and  a  purpose.  In  fact,  the  activities  which  have  just 
been  assigned  to  the  parent-teacher  association  may  be 
carried  on  with  equal  effectiveness  by  the  farmers'  club. 
For  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  general  purpose 
is  always  the  same,  whatever  be  the  name  or  the  methods 
of  the  organization.  Of  course,  the  farmers'  club  usually 
devotes  the  major  part  of  its  activities  to  problems  of 
agriculture,  cooperative  marketing  and  buying,  etc. ; 
but  sociability  should  be,  and  naturally  will  be,  a  promi- 
nent feature  of  every  meeting.  And,  if  properly  directed, 
a  club  of  this  kind  would  naturally  interest  itself  in  such 
problems  as  school  improvement,  public  highways,  etc. 

The  organization  of  farmers'  clubs  is  now  usually  pro- 
moted and  directed  by  the  county  and  district  agricultural 
club  agents;  but  these  agents  can  make  these  clubs 
most  effective  only  when  in  cooperation  with  the  school 
and  the  teacher.  The  teacher,  therefore,  should  not 
fail  to  seek  the  help  of  the  national  agricultural  experts 
assigned  to  duty  in  his  school  district.  He  should  seek 
also  the  assistance  of  his  county  superintendent  and  of 


Miscellaneous  Activities  131 

any  other  persons  who  may  be  prepared  to  help  him  in 
the  organization  and  direction  of  a  farmers'  club  at  his 
schoolhouse. 


3.   BOYS*  AND   GIRLS'   AGRICULTURAL   CLUBS 

A  School  Activity.  Agricultural  clubs  among  boys 
and  girls  are  usually  directed  by  the  United  States  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  through  the  extension  divisions 
of  the  state  colleges  of  agriculture  and  through  the  county 
agricultural  agents.  Yet,  in  most  places,  these  clubs 
are  organized  at  the  schools  and  meetings  are  held  at 
the  schoolhouses,  frequently  under  the  immediate  direc- 
tion of  the  teacher.  These  meetings  are  a  specialized 
form  of  the  rural  community  center,  and  in  many  places 
they  are  the  community  center,  the  president  of  the  club 
being  the  chairman  of  the  community  center  meetings. 

The  agricultural  club  supplements  and  enriches  the 
work  of  the  school.  It  is  the  one  feature  of  the  school 
work  that  is  sure  to  be  alive  and  active,  for  it  not  only 
teaches  the  boys  and  girls  the  more  fundamental  and 
practical  things  about  the  vocation  of  agriculture,  but 
it  also  furnishes  the  laboratory  work  for  geography, 
arithmetic,  and  English.  The  boys'  and  girls'  club  work 
is  a  connecting  link  between  the  routine  work  of  the 
formal/ subjects  and  the  lives  of  the  boys  and  girls. 

Cooperation  between  Teacher  and  Agricultural  Club 
Agent.  It  is  unnecessary,  and  it  would  be  unwise,  to 
describe  the  work  and  methods  of  the  boys'  and  girls' 
agricultural  clubs  in  detail;  for  every  state  now  has  its 
agricultural  agents  and  its  agricultural  literature.  If 
there  is  a  county  agricultural  agent,  a  teacher  should 
get  into  communication  with  him.    The  agent  will  be 


132  The  Community  Center 

able  and  glad  to  give  his  personal  assistance  and  to  put 
into  the  hands  of  the  teacher  such  literature  as  is  needful 
in  organizing  agricultural  clubs  in  the  schools.  The 
kinds  of  clubs  for  a  given  community  will  depend,  of 
course,  upon  the  kinds  of  crops  produced  and  the  agri- 
cultural possibilities  of  the  immediate  community. 
Among  the  clubs  which  have  been  organized  in  the  United 
States  are  those  for  the  production  or  promotion  of  the 
following:  corn,  sorghums,  pigs,  poultry,  tomatoes, 
potatoes,  gardening  and  canning,  apples,  cooking,  sewing, 
farm  and  home  handicraft,  dairy,  baby  beef,  bees,  melons, 
and  others  almost  without  number.  Among  the  activities 
of  these  clubs  may  be  mentioned  exhibits,  prizes,  fairs, 
records  and  reports,  com  judging  and  seed-corn  testing, 
in  addition  to  the  production  and  sale  of  farm  products. 
Aim  of  Agricultural  Clubs.  —  The  aim  of  boys'  and 
girls'  agricultural  clubs  is,  of  course,  first  of  all  to  arouse 
in  the  boys  and  girls  an  interest  in  agriculture  and  to 
give  them  such  technical  knowledge  of  farming  and 
domestic  arts  as  will  enable  them  to  be  good  farmers 
or  farmers'  wives.  Many  of  our  older  children  are 
looking  forward  eagerly  to  the  time  when  they  may  go 
away  to  the  cities.  Many  of  them  will  eventually  meet 
with  discouragement  and  failure  in  those  cities.  We 
must  find  for  them  in  the  country  the  equivalent  of  their 
zeal  for  the  city.  Does  not  the  successful  agricultural 
club  partially  meet  this  requirement? 


4.   PLAY  AND   ATHLETICS 

Need  of  More  Play  in  Country  Communities.  Adults, 
as  well  as  boys  and  girls,  enjoy  almost  any  kind  of  play 
and  athletics.    Very  few  country  people  play,  mainly 


Miscellaneous  Activities  133 

because  they  do  not  know  how.  It  is  surprising  how  few 
games  country  boys  and  girls  are  acquainted  with.  The 
teacher  can  very  easily  teach  them  games,  and  then, 
when  the  community  gets  together  for  a  day  meeting, 
the  older  members  can  easily  be  taught  these  plays  and 
games  by  the  teacher  and  pupils.  Next  to  singing  to- 
gether, playing  together  is  certainly  one  of  the  very  best 
ways  of  uniting  a  community  so  as  to  insure  their  cooper- 
ation with  the  school  in  plans  for  community  improve- 
ment. It  is  not  necessary  to  organize  athletic  teams, 
though  that  may  be  done  with  good  results.  It  is  better 
to  find  games  in  which  just  as  many  as  possible,  old  and 
young,  can  engage.  Nothing  is  better  at  first  than  games 
which  will  provoke  a  great  deal  of  laughter  and  enable 
the  participants  to  have  a  lot  of  genuine  fun. 

Three-legged  Race.  This  is  a  game  which  the  spec- 
tators will  greatly  enjoy  and  which  at  the  same  time 
requires  a  great  deal  of  skill  and  speed.  "  Fasten  a 
strap  to  the  inside  ankles  of  two  runners,  and  join  these 
by  a  loop  strap  three  inches  long.  Fasten  a  similar 
strap  above  the  knees,  with  a  connecting  loop  two  inches 
long.  It  is  well  to  have  one  runner  taller  than  the  other, 
so  that  he  can  get  a  good  hold  over  his  partner's  shoulder 
around  his  waist."  The  contestants  should  have  a  great 
deal  of  practice  in  preparation  for  this  race. 

Potato  Race.  "  This  is  another  very  interesting  event, 
but  very  trying,  and  hence  should  not  be  made  too  long. 
Children  should  practice  a  good  deal  before  being  allowed 
to  enter  a  closely  contested  meet.  For  each  contestant, 
place  a  basket  containing  three  potatoes  at  the  far  end  of 
a  twelve-yard  line.  Along  the  line  every  three  yards, 
draw  a  two-foot  circle,  the  first  circle  being  three  yards 
from  the  starting  line  and  the  third  circle  being  three 


134  The  Community  Center 

yards  from  the  basket.  A  contestant  must  start  from 
the  starting  hne  and  run  to  the  basket,  get  one  potato 
and  place  it  in  circle  No.  1,  or  the  one  farthest  from  the 
basket.  He  then  gets  a  second  potato  and  places  it  in 
the  middle  circle,  then  gets  the  third  potato  and  places 
it  in  the  third  circle.  He  then  races  to  the  starting  line, 
returns,  and  replaces  the  potatoes,  one  at  a  time,  in  the 
basket,  in  the  order  in  which  they  were  distributed. 
He  must  go  around  the  basket  each  time  a  potato  is 
replaced  in  it.  He  finishes  in  a  dash  across  the  starting 
line.  In  practicing  for  this  race,  do  not  run  fast  at  first. 
Go  slowly  at  first,  and  get  firmly  in  mind  just  what  to  do 
at  each  step.  Acquire  accuracy  in  getting  the  potatoes 
and  in  placing  them  in  the  circles  so  they  will  stay.  If 
one  rolls  out,  you  must  return  and  place  it  back  in  the 
circle,  else  you  are  disqualified." 

Tug-of-War.  This  game  is  played  more  in  colleges 
on  especial  occasions,  perhaps,  than  anywhere  else,  but 
it  is  well  adapted  to  country  communities  if  it  be  properly 
directed.  To  play  this  game,  procure  a  manila  rope 
about  five  inches  in  circumference;  fasten  a  clamp  at 
the  middle,  and  about  three  feet  from  this  clamp  toward 
either  end  fasten  other  clamps  to  mark  the  limit  to  which 
any  player  may  approach  the  middle.  There  must  be 
no  knots  or  other  obstructions  on  the  rope.  When  all 
is  ready,  about  twelve  players  on  each  side  pull  in  opposite 
directions.  Contestants  are  not  allowed  to  wrap  the 
rope  around  their  arms,  legs,  or  bodies,  nor  may  they 
wear  gloves  or  shields  on  their  hands,  but  they  may  use 
adhesive  substances  on  the  hands.  No  weights  shall  be 
worn  except  in  accordance  with  rules.  If  the  required 
distance  is  not  made  by  either  side  after  five  minutes, 
a  rest  of  two  minutes  shall  be  allowed,  and  if,  after  another 


Miscellaneous  Activities  135 

five  minutes'  pull  it  has  not  been  made,  the  award  shall 
be  made  to  the  team  having  made  the  farthest  pull. 
This  game  will  prove  to  be  very  popular  with  the  young 
men  of  the  community. 

These  are  examples  of  a  large  number  of  games  of  this 
kind  which  are  easy  to  learn.  The  teacher  should,  if 
possible,  have  some  good  book  on  plays  and  games.  One 
of  the  very  best  is  Games  for  the  Playground,  Home, 
School,  and  Gymnasium  by  Jessie  H.  Bancroft,  Macmil- 
lan  Company.  Social  Plays,  Marches,  Old  Folk  Dances 
and  Rhythmic  Movements,  for  use  in  Indian  Schools, 
Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  and  The  Re- 
organized School  Playground,  Bulletin  No.  40,  1913, 
United  States  Bureau  of  Education,  can  both  be  secured 
free  or  at  a  nominal  cost. 


6.   EVENING   SCHOOLS 

The  Problem  of  Illiteracy.  The  fact  that  among  the 
young  men  drafted  for  military  service  so  many  thousands 
were  unable  to  read  the  English  language  has  awakened 
renewed  interest  in  evening  schools.  Some  persons 
would  have  us  believe  that  illiteracy  in  this  country  is 
confined  to  negroes  and  foreigners;  but  a  statement  of 
this  kind  can  hardly  be  substantiated.  The  United  States 
census  shows  that  there  are  proportionately  more  illiter- 
ates in  the  country  districts  than  in  the  cities ;  whereas, 
we  know  that,  except  in  some  of  the  southern  states, 
most  of  the  negroes  and  foreigners  are  in  the  cities.  The 
fact  is  that  right  among  our  native  stock  on  the  farms 
there  are  many  thousands  who  have  never  gone  to  school 
at  all  or  who  have  not  gone  long  enough  to  be  able  to  read 
and  write.    Certainly  this  is  a  situation  to  challenge 


136  The  Community  Center 

the  high  purposes  of  the  rural  community  center.  It  is 
not  difficult  to  arrange  for  the  instruction  of  such  persons 
during  part  of  the  evenings  when  the  community  meets 
at  the  "  center,"  for,  while  one  of  the  leaders  is  engaged 
in  this  work,  others  may  be  giving  instruction  in  such  sub- 
jects as  agriculture,  farm  arithmetic,  farm  accounting, 
English  literature,  and  history.  This  plan  is  particularly 
feasible  where  two  or  more  neighboring  teachers  unite 
for  community  center  work,  and  it  has  been  carried  out 
successfully  in  several  places.  So,  let  one  hour  be  given 
to  the  evening  school  work  and  the  rest  of  the  time  to 
the  rendering  of  a  short  program  or  to  social  enjoyment, 
remembering  that  the  sooner  the  community  center 
gets  started  in  some  kind  of  constructive  work  that  touches 
the  lives  and  the  pursuits  of  the  people,  the  firmer  will 
be  its  hold  on  the  attention  of  the  community. 

6.   ENTERTAINMENT  FOR  PROFIT 

One  should  guard  against  any  appearance  of  managing 
the  community  center  as  a  money-making  enterprise. 
Nothing  would  be  farther  from  its  real  purpose.  Yet 
certain  occasions  may  arise  when  entertainment  for  profit 
would  not  be  objectionable  and  when,  on  the  other  hand, 
it  would  be  in  keeping  with  the  temporary  purpose  of 
the  community  center.  For  example,  if  it  happens  that 
public  funds  are  not  available  for  purchasing  library 
books,  maps,  globes,  window  shades  and  curtains,  supple- 
mentary readers,  and  other  kinds  of  school  equipment, 
and  if  the  community  center  desires  to  supply  these, 
then  an  entertainment  for  profit  would  be  a  worthy  proj- 
ect. The  teacher  will  have  to  be  the  judge  as  to  whether  an 
entertainment  of  this  kind  would  meet  with  public  approval. 


Miscellaneous  Activities  137 

The  best  way  to  be  assured  on  that  question  is  to  let 
the  people  discuss  the  proposition  and  decide  for  them- 
selves. If  they  are  really  interested  in  doing  spmething 
of  that  kind,  then  a  few  programs,  part  or  all  of  which  are 
for  profit,  will  do  no  harm  and  may  do  a  great  deal  of 
good.  A  few  of  the  more  common  methods  of  entertain- 
ing for  profit  are  suggested  in  the  following  paragraphs. 

Box-Suppers.  In  some  sections  of  the  country  the 
box-supper  is  the  best  known  and  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar forms  of  entertainment  for  profit.  Each  of  the  women 
and  young  girls  prepares  a  box  of  food,  or  more  often  of 
dainties.  These  boxes  are  brought  to  the  meeting  with 
the  names  of  the  owners  concealed  inside,  so  that  the 
purchaser  of  the  box  may  not  know  whose  box  he  is  buying. 
When  all  is  ready,  some  one  is  appointed  to  sell  the  boxes 
to  the  boys  and  men.  In  some  places  each  box  is  sold 
for  a  fixed  price,  fifty  cents  or  one  dollar.  This  plan 
has  apparently  not  proved  to  be  as  successful  as  the 
method  of  "  auctioning  "  the  boxes,  knocking  them  down 
to  the  highest  bidder.  The  latter  method  will  also  usually 
net  more  money  than  the  former.  Besides,  bidding 
against  one  another  is  part  of  the  fun.  We  have  attended 
some  of  these  box-suppers  where  a  box  has  netted  as 
much  as  ten  dollars,  the  purchaser  consoling  himself, 
no  doubt,  with  the  feeling  that  he  was  contributing  to 
a  worthy  cause.  We  have  never  attended  a  meeting 
of  this  kind  where  there  was  undue  disorder,  or  where 
serious  trouble  of  any  kind  arose.  This  sort  of  meeting 
is  in  the  nature  of  a  frolic,  of  course,  but  nothing  can  be 
better  occasionally  for  the  rural  community  where  there 
are  so  few  opportunities  for  social  enjoyment.  After 
the  boxes  have  all  been  sold,  the  purchasers  find  the 
original  owners  and  all  sit  down  to  supper. 


138  The  Community  Center 

Peanut  Socials.  Peanut  socials  and  pie  suppers  are 
carried  on  in  the  same  way.  It  makes  little  difference 
what  one  of  these  affairs  is  called ;  fun  and  social  enjoy- 
ment are  the  indirect  objects,  and  they  all  amount  to 
the  same  thing  —  a  pleasant  way  of  contributing  to  a  public 
enterprise.  Some  time  ago  the  writer  attended  one  of 
these  affairs  undertaken  by  the  school  in  order  to  raise 
money  for  the  purchase  of  a  victrola.  It  was  called  a 
peanut  social,  but  there  were  not  many  peanuts.  Some 
of  the  boxes  had  fudge  in  them,  some  had  chocolates, 
while  others  had  sandwiches.  The  sales  netted  the 
school  a  little  over  fifty  dollars.  In  a  few  weeks  another 
meeting  of  this  kind  raised  enough  more  to  purchase 
the  victrola  and  some  records  besides.  Later,  a  similar 
meeting  was  held  for  the  purchase  of  more  records.  This 
was  a  community  victrola,  and  all  could  come  to  the 
schoolhouse  to  enjoy  it  together. 

"  Side  Shows."  It  is  often  profitable  to  run  one  or 
more  "  side  shows  "  at  one  of  these  money-making  enter- 
tainments. A  very  good  one  is  "  fortune  telling."  Let 
one  of  the  ladies  make  up  as  a  gypsy  fortune  teller  and 
prepare  a  booth  in  one  corner  of  the  room  as  her  tent. 
A  small  fee  of  five  or  ten  cents  should  be  charged  each 
one  who  wishes  to  know  his  future.  This  kind  of  scheme 
furnishes  a  lot  of  fun  and  at  the  same  time  supplements 
to  some  extent  the  amounts  raised  for  the  school  in  other 
ways. 

Another  very  good  device  is  the  "fish  pond."  An 
impromptu  screen  is  arranged  so  as  to  inclose  a  fancied 
lake  or  pond.  On  the  inside,"a  girl  is  stationed  for  the 
purpose  of  placing  on  a  fishing  hook  small  articles  or 
packages,  as  the  fisherman  throws  the  line  over  the  screen. 
A  charge  of  five  or  ten  cents  is  made  to  each  person  who 


Miscellaneous  Activities  139 

buys  a  chance  of  catching  a  "  fish/'  This  scheme  also 
is  capable  of  furnishing  considerable  amusement,  while 
at  the  same  time  a  good  many  nickels  and  dimes  are 
collected. 

Unclaimed  Parcel  Auction.  Once  each  year  the  express 
companies  hold  an  auction  sale  of  unclaimed  packages, 
the  purchasers  taking  chances  on  what  may  be  in  them. 
At  one  of  these  sales  one  may  get  a  very  valuable  article 
for  twenty-five  cents,  or  for  a  much  greater  sum  he  may 
get  an  article  utterly  useless  to  him.  Following  this 
custom,  the  children  and  their  parents  may  contribute 
articles  for  an  "  auction  "  —  anything  from  a  pound  of 
coffee  to  an  old  hat.  A  few  choice  packages  should  be 
offered,  however,  in  order  to  maintain  a  keener  interest  in 
the  auction  sale.  These  articles  should  be  wrapped  so 
that  the  appearance  of  the  packages  will  not  indicate 
their  contents.  Then,  at  the  proper  time  let  the  packages 
be  sold  at  auction  to  the  highest  bidder.  This  device  is 
especially  profitable  because  no  one  has  to  make  much 
of  a  sacrifice  in  contributing  the  articles,  and  the  pur- 
chasers will  have  their  money's  worth  of  fun.  Other 
devices  of  this  kind  can  be  thought  out  and  employed 
as  a  means  of  making  money.  These  will  vary  in  different 
communities  either  to  meet  local  conditions  or  in  har- 
mony with  the  past  experiences  of  the  people.  Ac- 
tivities of  this  sort  are  generally  a  minor  part  of  the  eve- 
ning's entertainment  and  usually  come  at  the  last,  when 
they  serve  a  very  good  social  purpose. 

Pay  Entertainments.  The  children  will  take  great 
pleasure  in  rendering  a  program  for  entertainment  to 
which  a  small  entrance  fee  may  be  charged.  Plays, 
or  amateur  theatricals,  are  perhaps  the  most  appropriate 
to  this  purpose,  but  if  a  charge  for  admission  is  made, 


140  The  Community  Center 

the  people  will  have  a  right  to  expect  the  best  of  which 
the  school  is  capable.  Therefore  great  care  should  be 
taken  to  make  these  programs  just  as  entertaining  as 
possible.  If  there  are  musicians  within  reach,  they  may- 
be called  upon  to  furnish  music.  A  girls'  glee  club,  a 
mandolin  club,  or  the  like  will  add  much  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  occasion.  If  a  picture  machine  is  available, 
a  motion  picture  show  will  draw  a  crowd  and  net  good 
returns.  It  may  be  that  the  entertainment  committee 
can  draw  upon  a  near-by  normal  school  or  other  higher 
institution  of  learning  for  an  evening's  entertainment  or 
for  some  assistance  in  the  way  of  music,  readings,  etc. ; 
or,  if  there  is  a  suitable  hall  in  the  community,  it  may 
be  possible  and  advisable  to  secure  entertainers  from  the 
outside  for  the  entire  program.  But  if  the  expenses  are 
considerable,  the  profits  derived  from  the  latter  method 
are  usually  small  and  are  sometimes  a  minus  quantity. 

EXERCISES 

1.  What  should  be  the  relation  of  the  parent-teacher  association 
to  the  community  center? 

2.  Explain  how  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  is 
fostering  the  community  center  movement. 

3.  Formulate  a  plan  whereby  each  of  the  specialized  activities 
of  the  community  center  may  use  the  schoolhouse  as  a  "center." 

4.  Prepare  a  paper  on  "The  Grange  as  a  Community  Center  and 
What  It  Has  Accomplished." 

5.  Explain  how  you  would  interest  adults  in  play  and  athletics. 

6.  What  special  significance  for  Americanization  has  the  evening 
school?  What  is  the  Federal  Government  now  doing  to  encourage 
evening  schools?  What  part  can  the  school  perform  in  the  Govern- 
ment's program? 

7.  How  would  you  undertake  to  overcome  any  prejudice  that 
your  patrons  might  hold  against  entertaining  for  profit? 


CHAPTER  XI 

ENTERTAINMENT  PROGRAMS  FOR  COMMUNITY 
MEETINGS 

1.    GENERAL   SUGGESTIONS 

Programs  Should  Be  Suited  to  Community.  In  these 
two  final  chapters  several  programs  and  suggestions  are 
offered  for  the  consideration  of  teachers  in  planning  for 
community  center  activities.  They  are  selected  as 
having  in  many  cases  proved  most  helpful  to  teachers 
in  rural  communities.  To  some  teachers  they  may  not 
be  of  any  great  suggestive  value,  but  to  the  inexperienced 
they  may  be  of  assistance.  In  making  up  the  programs 
for  community  center  meetings,  the  teacher  will  do  well 
to  bear  in  mind  always  the  past  experiences  of  the  people 
and  of  the  school  in  this  kind  of  exercises.  For  if  he  pro- 
vides a  program  too  difficult  or  too  strange,  the  people 
may  fail  to  be  sufficiently  interested  to  desire  a  continu- 
ance of  the  community  meetings ;  on  the  other  hand,  the 
teacher  must  not  dwell  too  long  on  entertainment  and 
mere  pastime  exercises.  In  planning  the  community 
work  and  in  making  up  the  programs,  let  us  bear  in  mind, 
then,  the  following  suggestions : 

Ultimate  Aim  of  the  Community  Center.  If  the  growth 
of  the  community  center  movement  has  been  normal 
and  healthy,  the  people  may  possibly  find  as  much  recrea- 
tion in  the  discussion  of  a  civic  or  an  agricultural  problem 
as  they  would  in  any  other  form  of  entertainment.    The 

141 


142  The  Community  Center 

reason  why  some  of  our  country  people  have  so  little 
interest  in  improving  their  community  and  its  institutions 
is  that  they  have  lost  faith  in  the  possibility  of  its  being 
done.  Many  may  have  transferred  their  interests  to 
the  city  and  their  immediate  purpose  may  be  to  benefit 
themselves  by  going  there;  but  if  they  can  renew  their 
faith  in  the  country,  they  will  find  pleasure  in  improving 
their  present  situations.  Make  it  possible  for  them  to 
anchor  their  faith  to  the  farm  and  to  country  life,  and 
they  may  change  their  whole  manner  of  thinking  about 
living  in  the  country.  Hope  lies  in  the  possibilities  of 
the  community  center.  In  the  full  realization  of  that 
hope  they  may  find  in  time  all  the  necessary  means  of 
wholesome  recreation  and  of  attractive  country  life. 

Initial  Steps.  Such  a  lofty  aim  for  the  community 
center  can  usually  be  approached  only  by  the  simplest 
beginnings.  The  people  must  first  get  the  habit  of  meet- 
ing together  in  a  neighborly  manner  in  the  enjoyment 
of  spelling-bees,  literary  exercises,  debates,  sociables,  etc. 
By  such  meetings  they  will  have  acquired  certain  com- 
munity interests  and  accumulated  some  social  capital, 
which  together  constitute  the  social  machinery  necessary 
to  community  betterment.  In  time  they  will  become 
ready  to  begin  some  constructive  work  in  the  community. 

Variation  of  Programs.  By  varying  the  programs  of 
the  community  center  meetings  to  include  entertainment, 
culture,  social  enjoyment,  and  discussions  of  ways  for 
community  improvement,  the  skillful  teacher  by  a  proper 
use  of  social  capital  thus  accumulated  will  be  able  to  lead 
his  community  through  the  several  stages  and  processes 
of  community  cooperation  first  in  ways  of  amusement, 
social  pleasure,  etc.,  and  finally  in  the  art  of  community 
building. 


Entertainment  Programs  143 

It  is  an  ambitious  program,  yes.  But  no  great  problem 
was  ever  solved  except  by  a  correspondingly  great  effort. 
The  rural  life  problem  is  a  great  problem.  It  involves 
the  welfare  of  over  fifty  millions  of  our  citizens.  These 
fifty  millions  have  been  said  to  constitute  the  backbone 
of  our  nation.  Teachers  and  other  rural  leaders  through- 
out the  country  should  look  upon  their  opportunities  to 
lead  in  so  stupendous  an  undertaking  as  a  rare  privilege. 
The  opportunity  of  the  individual  teacher  will  depend, 
of  course,  upon  the  intellectual,  social,  and  moral  resources 
of  his  immediate  community  and  upon  his  own  ability 
as  a  leader. 

Current  Events  a  Prominent  Feature  of  Every  Pro- 
gram. Reference  has  been  made  to  the  custom  of  the 
French  to  gather  once  a  week  at  the  schoolhouses  to  re- 
ceive bulletins  on  the  events  of  the  World  War.  fn  our 
own  country  we  met  at  the  schoolhouses  to  discuss  Liberty 
Bonds,  Red  Cross  work,  and  all  the  other  activities  in 
which  we  were  engaged  at  home  for  the  winning  of  the 
war.  That  was  the  easiest  and  the  most  effective  method 
we  had  of  keeping  the  people  informed  both  of  our  success 
and  of  our  needs  at  that  time.  We  still  have  occasion 
to  keep  the  people  informed  of  the  events  of  peace,  which 
are  perhaps  as  important  as  the  events  of  war. 

Every  program  of  the  community  center,  therefore, 
should  acquaint  the  people  with  the  most  important  events 
happening  in  the  state,  in  the  nation,  and  perhaps  in  the 
world.  We  can  think  of  nothing  more  effective  in  keep- 
ing abreast  of  the  times.  The  custom  will  arouse  a  desire 
to  read  newspapers,  magazines,  farm  bulletins,  and  books. 
It  will  also  develop  the  reading  habit  in  children,  and 
they  may  in  this  way  receive  new  light  upon  some  of  their 
textbooks.    For  example,  it  will  enable  the  teacher  to 


144  The  Community  Center 

present  history  in  a  new  aspect  and  to  select  from  news- 
papers, etc.,  practical  problems  in  arithmetic.  The  chil- 
dren will  acquire  the  habit  of  rapid  reading,  something 
which  they  seldom  gain  by  reading  textbooks  alone. 
The  teacher  should  guide  the  children  in  preparing  "  cur- 
rent events  "  for  the  community  meeting.  The  privi- 
lege of  doing  this  may  be  conditioned  upon  faithful  work 
in  general  or  upon  excellence  in  English  composition. 
This  practice  cannot  be  recommended  too  strongly. 
With  proper  safeguards  it  can  be  made  most  effective 
in  increasing  popular  intelligence. 

2.   PROGRAMS  FOR  ENTERTAINMENT 

Community  meetings  where  self-provided  entertain- 
ment is  the  dominant  idea  are  at  first  among  the  best 
means  rural  people  have  for  recreation.  Such  entertain- 
ments may  be  very  simple,  but  they  are  likely  to  fit  into 
the  lives  of  the  people  and  to  provide  them  with  wholesome 
recreation.  At  such  entertainments  as  they  devise  under 
the  leadership  of  their  teacher,  embarrassment  is  absent, 
formality  gives  way  to  sociability,  and  there  is  a  certain 
degree  of  independence.  They  put  themselves  thereby 
into  a  mental  condition  for  community  growth,  the  ulti- 
mate aim  of  the  community  center  movement.  The 
programs  which  follow  may  be  regarded  as  types  of  the 
kinds  of  entertainment  that  will  be  found  most  satis- 
factory. 

Spelling-Bee 

Because  of  its  popularity  in  many  communities,  one  of 
the  best  programs  for  an  entering  wedge  is  a  spelling- 
bee.    It  is  entertaining  because  there  is  a  lot  of  fxm  and 


Entertainment  Programs  145 

enjoyment  in  it.  Upon  the  value  of  spelling  and  the 
spelling-bee  you  may,  if  you  like,  let  Squire  Hawkins  in 
Edward  Eggleston's  Hoosier  Schoolmaster  be  your  adviser. 
Squire  Hawkins  had  just  been  appointed  by  the  teacher 
as  "  pronouncer  "  of  the  words  for  the  spelling  contest. 
In  accepting  this  honor,  he  made  the  following  remarks : 

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  young  men  and  maidens,  raley  I'm  obleeged 
to  Mr.  Means  for  this  honor.  I  feel  in  the  inmost  compartments  of 
my  animal  spirits  a  most  happifying  sense  of  the  success  and  futility 
of  all  my  endeavors  to  sarve  the  people  of  Flat  Creek  deestrick, 
and  the  people  of  Tomkins  township,  in  my  weak  way  and  manner. 

I  feel  as  if  I  could  be  grandiloquent  on  this  interesting  occasion, 
but  raley  I  must  forego  any  such  exertions.  It  is  spelling  you  want. 
Spelling  is  the  corner-stone,  the  ground,  underlying  subterfuge  of  a 
good  eddication.  I  put  the  spellin'-book  prepared  by  the  great 
Daniel  Webster  alongside  the  Bible.  I  do,  raley.  I  think  I  may 
put  it  ahead  of  the  Bible.  For  if  it  warn't  fer  spellin'-books  and  sich 
occasions  as  these,  where  would  the  Bible  be,  I  should  like  to  know? 
The  man  who  got  up,  who  compounded  this  work  of  inextricable 
valoo  was  a  benefactor  to  the  whole  human  race  or  any  other. 

Modern  educators  may  object  even  to  the  suggestion 
of  so  much  emphasis  being  given  to  oral  spelling.  "  Spell- 
ing," they  say,  "  should  be  learned  incidentally  for  the 
most  part  in  connection  with  other  subjects."  Perhaps 
it  should  be,  but  in  actual  practice  it  isn't  always  learned 
thoroughly  in  that  way.  The  writer  confesses  to  be  "  old 
fogey  "  enough  to  hold  that  in  country  schools,  where 
the  teacher  has  so  little  time  for  individual  instruction 
in  other  subjects,  no  other  method  can  quite  take  the 
place  of  oral  spelling  for  at  least  part  of  the  time.  Spell- 
ing for  "  head  marks  "  is  about  as  good  an  incentive  to 
thoroughness  as  has  ever  been  devised.  Anyway,  wher- 
ever spelling  is  taught  in  this  manner,  the  spelling-bee 


146  The  Community  Center 

will  be  a  popular  exercise  for  the  community  center. 
That  is  especially  true  in  places  where  in  their  younger 
years  the  parents  of  the  children  enjoyed  the  spelling- 
bee  as  a  social  game  which  all  could  play  and  enjoy. 

Suggestions.  (1)  Occasionally  the  spelling-bee  will 
furnish  entertainment  for  the  entire  evening,  but  it  js 
well  upon  most  occasions  to  precede  the  spelling  contest 
with  music,  readings,  informal  talks,  or  a  social  half 
hour. 

(2)  The  selection  of  two  captains  who  choose  the 
spellers  by  turns  has  proved  to  be  the  most  successful 
method  of  arranging  the  spellers  in  opposing  teams. 
Sometimes  two  neighboring  schools  spell  against  each 
other;  and  sometimes  the  school  children  oppose  the 
older  members  of  the  community. 

(3)  There  are  two  methods  of  disposing  of  a  speller 
when  he  has  missed  a  word :  he  either  drops  out  of  the 
contest,  or  goes  over  to  the  opposing  team.  For  obvious 
reasons  the  former  is  the  better  method. 

(4)  The  greatest  pains  should  be  taken  to  pronounce 
the  words  plainly  and  to  do  absolute  justice  to  each  team. 

(5)  Let  the  school  challenge  a  neighboring  school 
for  an  interschool  spelling  contest.  If  the  challenge  is 
accepted,  the  teacher  will,  in  all  probability,  note  an  added 
interest  among  his  pupils  in  preparing  their  spelling 
lessons ;  and  they  and  their  parents  will  have  a  good  time 
at  the  contest. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  Reading  or  dialogue,  by  the  pupils 

4.  Informal  talks,  by  teacher  and  parents 

5.  The  contest,  engaged  in  by  all 


Entertainment  Programs  147 


Ye  Old  Time  School  Days 

Suggestions.  (1)  This  kind  of  program  has  proved  to 
be  one  of  the  most  popular  among  both  young  and  old. 
Older  folk  like  to  relate  the  experiences  of  their  youth, 
while  children  always  like  a  story.  Telling  the  story  of 
earlier  days  is  an  effective  means  of  connecting  the  par- 
ents with  the  schools  of  to-day.  This  program  may  serve 
to  disillusion  those  people  who  think  that  the  schools  of 
fifty  years  ago  are  good  enough  for  the  children  of  to-day ; 
it  may  also  give  the  children  a  better  appreciation  of  the 
educational  advantages  they  enjoy. 

(2)  This  is  primarily  an  old  folks'  program,  so  place 
on  it  as  many  of  the  older  patrons  as  can  be  interested 
in  taking  part.  If  the  children  participate,  their  parts 
should  be  in  the  nature  of  papers  dealing  with  early  life 
in  the  state,  written  upon  such  information  as  they  can 
get  from  the  textbook  in  state  history  and  from  local 
histories  or  records. 

(3)  The  teacher  should  take  great  pains  to  see  person- 
ally as  many  of  the  older  citizens  of  the  community  as 
possible  and  find  out  beforehand  what  parts  they  would 
prefer  to  take. 

(4)  Advertise  the  program  well.  If  possible,  telephone 
those  who  are  to  appear  on  the  program,  a  day  or  two 
before  the  meeting,  thus  following  up  personal  or  written 
invitations. 

(5)  Extend  to  the  patrons  present  every  possible  cour- 
tesy. 

(6)  Be  sure  to  arrange  for  some  well-known  songs. 
Organize  the  school  into  a  chorus  and  have  them  practice 
the  songs  a  week  or  so  before  the  meeting. 


148  The  Community  Center 


A  Program 

1.  Songs,  led  by  school  choir 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "The  Old  Schoolhouse" 

4.  "Before  the  Time  of  Coal  and  Gas" 

5.  "Birch  Tea" 

6.  "My  Teacher" 

7.  Song  —  "  The  Schoolhouse  on  the  Hill " 

8.  "The  Days  of  Jeans,  Linsey,  and  Boots" 

9.  "Plays  and  Games" 

10.  "Our  Books" 

11.  Wittin's  "  In  School  Days,"  recited  by  a  pupil 

12.  Songs 

References 

History  of  the  county. 

Old  records,  reports,  and  letters. 

State  superintendent's  biennial  reports. 

Hart,  How  Our  Grandfathers  Lived.  The  Macmillan  Company, 
New  York. 

Calhoun,  When  Great  Folks  Were  Little  Folks.  The  Macmillan  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Pratt,  Stories  of  Colonial  Children.  Educational  Publishing  Com- 
pany, Boston. 

Eggleston,  Hoosier  School  Boy.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Griffin,  School  Days  of  the  Fifties.     A.  Flanagan  &  Company,  Chicago. 

Bass,  Stories  of  Pioneer  Life.     D.  C.  Heath  &  Company,  New  York. 

Illustrative  pictures,  photographs,  post  cards,  etc. 


Columbus  Day 

Suggestions.  The  anniversary  of  the  discovery  of 
America  may  be  made  a  red  letter  day  in  the  teaching 
of  patriotism.  Preparations  for  the  program  should  be 
begun  at  least  a  month  beforehand,  so  that  the  children 
may  have  opportunity  to  read  and  acquaint  themselves 
with  the  history  of  Columbus'  discovery. 


Entertainment  Programs  149 


A  Program 

1.  Song,  led  by  school  choir 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Early  Life  of  Columbus" 

4.  "Columbus'  Theory  of  the  Earth  as  a  Sphere" 

5.  "What  Columbus  Was  Really  Trying  to  Do" 

6.  "World  Geography  in  Columbus'  Time"   (A  map  or  globe 
should  be  used  for  demonstration) 

7.  "  Difficulties  That  Columbus  Had  in  Raising  Money  to  Make 
His  Voyage" 

8.  Song  —  "Red,  White  and  Blue" 

9.  "The  Voyage  of  Columbus" 

10.  "America  before  the  Discovery  by  Columbus" 

11.  "Subsequent  Discoveries" 

12.  "Results  to  the  World  of  Columbus'  Discovery" 

13.  Song  —  "America" 

References 

Irving,  Life  and  Voyages  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

See  also  encyclopedia,  and  texts  on  United  States  history.      , 

Shaw,    Discoverers    and    Explorers.     American     Book     Company, 

New  York. 
McMurry,  Pioneers  on  Land  and  Sea.     Macmillan  Company,  New 

York. 
Moores,    The    Story   of  Christopher   Columbus.    Houghton    Mifflin 

Company,  Boston. 
Stapley,  Christopher  Columbus.    Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

Debate 

"  Debatable  *'  Questions.  Next  to  the  spelling-bee 
and  "Ye  Old  Time  School  Days/'  the  debate  in  many 
places  will  be  among  the  most  popular  of  the  community 
center  exercises ;  for  in  times  past  country  folk,  especially 
the  men,  greatly  enjoyed  debating  all  sorts  of  questions. 
The  questions  frequently  selected  for  debate  in  the  country 
school  "  literaries  ''  of  fifty  or  more  years  ago  were  some- 


150        "^       The  Community  Center 

what  after  the  models  set  up  by  the  "  scholastic  "  debaters 
of  the  Middle  Ages.  One  of  the  most  popular  discus- 
sions of  these  school  "  literaries  "  was  the  question  of 
whether  the  earth  is  flat  or  round.  Such  questions  were, 
of  course,  selected  more  for  amusement  than  for  any 
other  reason. 

In  the  selection  of  subjects  for  debate  upon  such  occa- 
sions we  have  an  example  of  early  "  government  control  " 
in  the  following  authentic  account : 

In  the  year  1828,  a  club  of  young  students  at  Wellsville,  Ohio, 
arranged  to  debate  the  question  of  railroads,  then  just  coming  into 
notice.  When  they  asked  the  school  board  for  the  use  of  the  school- 
house,  they  received  the  following  remarkable  reply  which  is  said  to 
be  preserved  to  this  day  by  Alexander  Wells,  an  aged  citizen  of  that 
place: 

"You  are  welcome  to  the  use  of  the  schoolhouse  to  debate  all 
proper  questions  in,  but  such  things  as  railroads  and  telegraphs  are 
impossible  and  rank  infidelity.  There  is  nothing  in  the  Word  of  God 
about  them.  If  God  had  designed  that  his  intelligent  creatures 
should  travel  at  the  frightful  speed  of  fifteen  miles  an  hour  by  steam, 
He  would  clearly  have  foretold  it  through  His  holy  prophets.  It  is  a 
device  of  Satan  to  lead  immortal  souls  down  to  hell." 

Selecting  Questions  for  Debate.  If  the  once  popular 
kind  of  question  be  demanded  by  the  people  and  if  no 
official  interference  be  forthcoming,  then  it  would  be  well 
for  the  time  being  to  put  aside  one's  better  judgment  and 
let  the  people  exercise  their  debating  powers  after  their 
own  will.  In  due  time  they  will  seek  better  ways  of 
exercising  these  powers.  When  they  have  become  inter- 
ested in  the  reading  of  newspapers,  magazines,  books, 
farm  magazines,  etc.,  and  when  they  have  outlined,  a 
campaign  for  community  improvement  in  some  of  its 
phases,  they  will  then  be  ready  to  debate  questions  simi- 
lar to  the  following : 


Entertainment  Programs  151 

(1)  Resolved,  That  the  state  of should  have  an  effective  com- 
pulsory school  attendance  law. 

(2)  Resolved,  That  every  state  in  the  Union  should  grant  women 
equal  suffrage  with  men. 

(3)  Resolved,  That  there  should  be  an  educational  qualification  for 
voting. 

(4)  Resolved,  That  the  state  of should  abolish  capital  punish- 
ment. 

(5)  Resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  should  be 
elected  for  a  single  term  of  six  years. 

(6)  Resolved,  That  boys  and  girls  have  a  better  chance  of  success 
in  the  country  than  in  the  city. 

These  are  suggestive  of  the  kind  of  question  that  may- 
be debated  both  for  recreation  and  for  creating  better 
public  opinion  on  many  phases  of  government,  current 
events,  and  rural  life.  Such  debates  will  cause  many  to 
read  for  information,  who  have  not  read  much,  perhaps, 
for  years.  The  children,  as  well  as  their  parents,  will  then 
find  use  for  a  carefully  selected  school  library.  The 
people  will  have  for  conversation  many  subjects  besides 
the  weather  and  their  neighbors. 

Suggestions.  (1)  The  debate  may  be  made  a  feature 
of  several  programs,  depending  largely  upon  the  fondness 
of  the  people  for  debating. 

(2)  The  question  for  debate  should  be  stated  plainly, 
in  order  to  avoid  any  quibbling  over  the  meaning  of 
words  or  the  phrasing  of  sentences. 

(3)  The  conditions  governing  the  debate  should  be 
clearly  understood  by  all.  Not  more  than  two  or  three 
debaters  should  be  arranged  on  each  side  of  the  question. 
The  time  allowed  each  contestant  should  be  fixed  before- 
hand and  rigidly  adhered  to:  ten  to  fifteen  minutes 
for  each  of  the  debaters,  and  three  to  five  minutes  for  the 
first  speaker  on  the  affirmative  to  sum  up  and  close  the 


152  The  Community  Center 

debate.  Three  judges  should  be  appointed  to  determine 
the  winners  in  the  contest.  The  debating  teams  should 
be  as  evenly  matched  as  possible. 

(4)  It  will  prove  a  wholesome  stimulus  to  community 
center  meetings,  if  two  neighboring  schools  challenge 
each  other  for  a  debating  contest;  for  in  that  case  each 
side  chooses  its  best  debaters  to  maintain  the  reputation 
of  the  school,  and  each  debater  has  an  incentive  to  do  his 
best  at  home  in  order  to  represent  his  school  in  the  inter- 
school  contest. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  Contest  in  addition  of  numbers,  by  several  pupils  at  the  black- 
board 

4.  Dialogue,  by  a  group  of  pupils 

5.  Songs 

6.  Debate 

7.  Songs  and  a  social  half  hour 

Amateur  Theatricals 

The  success  of  amateur  theatricals  will  of  course  depend 
largely  upon  the  teacher's  ability  to  organize  and  conduct 
them.  His  greatest  difficulty  will  likely  be  that  of  making 
up  his  mind  to  undertake  such  a  program.  He  can  be 
sure  of  the  following  conditions,  however:  (1)  that  he 
can  probably  do  this  sort  of  thing  better  than  any  one  else 
in  his  community  (if  not,  he  can  get  that  other  person 
to  assist  him) ;  (2)  that  the  pupils  will  willingly  and 
zealously  help  him ;  (3)  that  the  parents  will  enjoy  this 
program;  and  (4)  that  many  another  teacher  has  suc- 
ceeded admirably  with  amateur  theatricals  in  rural 
communities. 


Entertainment  Programs  153 

How  One  Teacher  Succeeded.  Let  us  relate  how  one 
teacher  did  succeed  with  dramatization.  She  was  just 
an  average  teacher  of  an  average  rural  school.  She  did, 
however,  have  more  than  average  initiative  and  deter- 
mination.    Her  program  was  as  follows: 

1.  Song  —  "My  Old  Kentucky  Home" 

2.  "The  Story  of  an  Indian  Girl,"  by  a  pupil 

3.  "Who  Are  the  Indians?"  by  a  citizen 

4.  "Indians,"  by  the  district  supervisor 

5.  "Hiawatha,"  dramatized  by  15  pupils 

6.  Song  —  "America" 

The  steps  which  this  teacher  took  in  the  preparation  of 
her  program  may  perhaps  be  interesting  and  suggestive 
to  those  who  are  undertaking  a  similar  one. 

As  to  the  play,  "Hiawatha,"  I  told  the  boys  that  this  was  their 
program.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  saw  children  enjoy  anything  so 
much  as  preparing  for  this  play.  The  boys  brought  in  two  white 
oak  "trees"  that  would  just  stand  upright  in  the  house.  These  they 
placed  on  either  side  of  the  stage.  They  built  a  wigwam  of  poles 
covered  with  coffee  sacks.  On  the  floor  they  spread  branches  of 
pine. 

The  girls  dressed  a  large  doll  as  an  Indian  baby,  strapped  it  to  a 
board,  and  tied  it  to  one  of  the  trees.  They  used  this  in  the  first  scene 
to  represent  Hiawatha's  babyhood. 

The  "chief"  wore  a  plaid  blanket  and  a  cap  made  from  paper 
sacks,  trimmed  with  turkey  feathers.  The  other  boys  wore  suits 
made  of  coffee  sacks  trimmed  with  bright  fringe  and  caps  trimmed 
with  feathers. 

Some  of  the  girls  trimmed  brown  dresses  with  bright  fringe.  One 
wore  a  black  skirt  with  red  sweater  trimmed  with  red  fringe.  One 
wore  a  loose  white  dress  trimmed  with  bright  cloth.  All  wore  their 
hair  braided  and  trimmed  with  feathers.  And  each  wore  several 
strands  of  beads,  some  of  these  made  of  red  crepe  paper.  They 
painted  their  faces  with  damp  crepe  paper  and  powdered  this  with 
browned  flour.    This  made  them  have  a  complexion  like  an  Indian. 


154  The  Community  Center 

The  boys  had  three  Indian  songs  and  two  Indian  dances,  in  which 
they  sang  and  danced  well. 

There  were  about  eighty-five  persons  present,  including  almost 
all  of  the  parents.  Some  of  the  parents  said,  "We  are  surprised  that 
the  children  could  do  so  well." 

Begin  with  Simple  Programs.  Note  how  the  teacher 
appropriated  materials  found  about  the  school  and  in 
the  homes  of  the  children.  There  was  no  expense ;  every 
necessary  material  was  at  hand.  The  program  was 
prepared  simply,  but  skillfully  executed.  That  is  what 
the  parents  like.  And  if  one  had  seen  the  joy  these 
children  manifested  in  preparing  and  rendering  this  dram- 
atization, he  would  be  convinced  that  failure  to  help  the 
children  in  this  kind  of  play  deprives  them  of  one  of  the 
greatest  pleasures  of  childhood. 

Use  Familiar  Subject  Matter.  We  should  remember 
that  we  are  entertaining  country  folk.  Use  the  literary 
inheritances  of  the  race  for  dramatization,  but  not  those 
in  which  the  theme  or  the  setting  is  foreign  to  the  experi- 
ences of  country  people.  For  example,  every  one  knows 
something  about,  and  is  interested  in,  Indians.  There- 
fore the  dramatization  of  Hiawatha  was  enjoyed  and 
understood,  although  many  in  the  audience  had  never 
read  or  even  heard  of  the  poem. 

Stage  Decorations.  In  graded  or  consolidated  schools, 
of  course,  more  elaborate  programs  can  be  staged,  and 
more  difficult  subjects  may  be  selected ;  but  in  the  one- 
room  school  we  have  to  make  the  best  we  can  out  of  a 
limited  space.  Even  then,  however,  we  may  have  at 
least  the  appearance  of  a  stage  with  something  of  the 
air  of  the  theater.  For  the  stage,  a  large  packing-box 
may  serve  very  well ;  this  may  be  painted  or  draped  in 
any  suitable  color.    Tin  lamps  with  reflectors  may  be 


Entertainment  Programs  155 

used  for  footlights.  One  or  two  strong  lights  may  be 
placed  out  of  sight  of  the  audience,  on  either  side  of  the 
stage.  Sheets  of  colored  glass  may  be  used  to  cast  any 
necessary  color  effects. 

In  the  school  or  in  the  community,  the  teacher  can 
generally  find  some  one  who  has  sufficient  genius  to  paint 
and  arrange  the  necessary  scenery.  It  may  be  painted 
on  sheets  of  calico  stretched  across  a  wooden  frame.  If 
that  seems  to  be  too  difficult  of  accomplishment,  then  the 
stage  can  be  decorated  in  other  ways  so  as  to  make  it 
presentable.  Drop-curtains  or  side-curtains  may  be 
arranged  without  great  difficulty.  Side-curtains  are 
preferable. 

Costuming.  The  costuming  and  make-up  must  depend 
upon  the  ingenuity  of  the  teacher,  her  pupils,  and  helpful 
members  of  the  community.  Ordinarily,  the  nature  of 
the  play  or  tableaux  will  suggest  proper  costuming  and 
make-up.  However,  a  good  play  may  be  staged  success- 
fully with  very  little  of  either,  for  the  people  will  not  be 
familiar  with  these  devices.  One  should  not  allow  a 
lack  of  costuming  and  make-up  to  deter  him  in  arranging 
an  entertainment. 

Selecting  Plays  and  Subjects.  In  selecting  plays  or 
subjects  for  tableaux  the  greatest  care  should  be  exer- 
cised. They  should  not  be  too  difficult  for  the  children 
to  perform,  nor  too  foreign  to  the  experiences  of  the 
people.  At  first  the  simplest  subjects  should  be  selected ; 
later,  more  difficult  ones  can  be  undertaken.  The  text- 
books in  reading  will  contain  a  good  many  suitable  selec- 
tions. At  first,  some  of  these  dramatizations  may  be 
tried  out  with  the  children  alone ;  later  they  can  be  per- 
formed at  one  of  the  community  meetings.  History 
furnishes  a  lot  of  suitable  material  for  tableaux.    The 


156  The  Community  Center 

landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  Pocahontas,  George 
Washington  at  Valley  Forge,  and  other  subjects  will 
entertain  and  at  the  same  time  bring  out  vividly  many 
of  the  lessons  of  national  history. 

A  Historical  Pageant.  Not  long  ago  a  historical  pag- 
eant was  presented  by  the  pupils  of  a  rural  consolidated 
and  high  school  in  celebration  of  the  birthdays  of  Wash- 
ington and  Lincoln.  The  program  was  so  well  received 
that  the  school  was  persuaded  to  render  it  again  a  week 
later.  It  took  considerable  time  and  effort  on  the  part 
of  the  teachers  to  prepare  for  this  pageant ;  costumes  had 
to  be  made,  scenery  had  to  be  arranged,  the  pupils  had 
to  be  drilled;  but  all  this  work  was  closely  correlated 
with  the  class  work  in  United  States  history.  The 
episodes  in  the  pageant  were  as  follows,  several  patriotic 
songs  being  distributed  throughout  the  program : 

(1)  Scenes  from  "Hiawatha"  —  the  wooing,  the  visit  to  the  home 
of  the  arrowmaker,  the  wedding  feast,  the  famine,  and  the  death 
of  Minnehaha. 

(2)  The  scene  where  Washington's  father  discovers  that  his 
favorite  cherry  tree  has  been  cut  down.  George  enters  with  his 
hatchet,  confesses,  and  receives  his  father's  commendations  for  being 
truthful. 

(3)  Washington  as  surveyor,  with  his  Indian  guides. 

(4)  The  wedding  of  Washington  and  Martha  Custis. 

(5)  The  first  flag,  representing  Betty  Ross  as  showing  Washing- 
ton, George  Ross,  and  Robert  Morris  the  flag  she  had  made. 

(6)  Washington  at  Valley  Forge. 

(7)  The  surrender  of  Cornwallis. 

(8)  Washington  taking  the  oath  of  office  as  President. 

(9)  Scenes  from  the  life  of  Lincoln  presented  in  the  same  way. 

This  historical  pageant  was  presented  in  the  auditorium 
of  the  school  by  a  group  of  country  boys  and  girls  to  an 
assemblage  consisting  mainly  of  farmers  and  their  wives. 


Entertainment  Programs  157 

It  was  a  real  pleasure  for  the  audience  and  the  finest 
kind  of  experience  for  the  actor  pupils. 

Subjects  for  Tableaux.  Local  history  furnishes  many- 
good  subjects  for  tableaux.  Literature,  also,  abounds 
in  subjects :  Dickens'  Christmas  Carol,  Tennyson's  Dream 
of  Fair  Women,  etc.  Mary  Hazleton  Wade  has  prepared 
a  series  of  plays,  Little  Folks^  Plays  of  American  Heroes,^ 
which  are  especially  helpful  to  teachers  in  producing 
historic  scenes.  "  George  Washington,"  "  Benjamin 
Franklin,"  and  "  Ulysses  S.  Grant "  are  among  titles 
of  plays  published. 

Holiday  Plays  for  Home,  School,  and  Settlement,  by  Vir- 
ginia Olcott,  and  Plays,  Pantomimes,  and  Tableaux  for 
Children,  by  Nora  Archibald  Smith,  are  among  the  new 
books  prepared  especially  to  aid  teachers  in  school  theat- 
ricals. 

The  Farm  Pageant.  A  farm  pageant  showing  the 
methods  of  agriculture  in  the  early  days  makes  a  very 
interesting  program.  Such  a  pageant  could  be  made 
to  show  the  development  of  agriculture  —  implements, 
methods,  results,  etc.  —  in  this  country,  or  the  develop- 
ment and  methods  of  agriculture  in  different  countries. 
An  entertainment  of  this  character  would  be  very  appro- 
priate for  "  Old  Home  Week  Celebration "  or  for  an 
evening  entertainment  at  a  farmers'  institute.  The  boys' 
and  girls'  agricultural  clubs  would  take  great  pleasure 
in  dramatizing  the  story  of  corn  culture  by  the  Indians, 
the  tale  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  learning  to  smoke  tobacco, 
or  the  invention  of  the  cotton  gin  by  Eli  Whitney.  The 
audience  will  be  surprised  by  the  zeal  and  the  ability 
displayed  by  the  children  in  these  plays. 

*  See  bibliography,  page  209. 


158  The  Community  Center 

Halloween  Social 

Halloween  heretofore  has  been  an  occasion  observed 
more  in  the  city  than  in  the  country.  The  writer  remem- 
bers that  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  before  he  had  the 
privilege  of  understanding  the  hidden  meaning  of  this 
celebration  and  then  it  was  in  a  college  town.  But  there 
is  every  reason  why  rural  school  children  should  have 
their  share  of  the  fun.  The  teacher  will  find  them  apt 
candidates  while  he  is  initiating  them  into  the  "  secret 
rites  of  this  ancient  order." 

A  Halloween  Frolic.  The  following  account  of  a  Hallow- 
een frolic  was  taken  from  The  Country  Gentleman:  ^ 

The  success  of  all  Halloween  frolics  depends  upon  the  mystery 
which  shrouds  the  arrangements.  Last  year  the  boys  of  a  country 
neighborhood  noted  for  its  entertainments  were  delighted  to  receive 
unique  invitations  from  the  girls  for  a  Halloween  party.  The  invita- 
tions are  worthy  of  description.  They  were  made  of  stiff  black 
paper  in  the  form  of  witches'  hats.  The  date  was  written  on  the 
peaks,  and  the  invitation  on  the  rims.  White  ink  was  used.  These 
were  mailed  in  small  square  boxes,  with  the  address  on  a  tag,  just  as 
milliners  deliver  their  hats. 

Twenty  boys  found  these  missives  in  their  mail  boxes  and  great 
consultations  were  rife  as  to  suitable  costumes.  Finally  they  simply 
masked,  and  sallied  forth  for  "Linton's  Barn"  at  the  appointed  hour. 
As  they  entered  the  dark  lane  a  tall  figure,  all  in  white,  with  a  brightly 
gleaming  jack-o'-lantern  head,  rose  before  them.  This  guide  silently 
led  them  to  the  barn  doors.  These  glided  open,  to  reveal  a  double 
line  of  ghosts,  to  whom  the  guide  nodded  so  violently  that  her  head 
fell  off  and  broke  at  their  very  feet.  At  this  signal  each  ghost  darted 
forward  and  seized  a  guest,  blindfolding  him,  whirling  him  three  times 
round  and  leading  him  away. 

As  the  line  of  twenty  couples  marched  up  and  down,  weird  music 
went  on  ahead  of  them,  and  each  ghost  entertained  her  captive  with 
tales  of  mystery. 

»Oct.  18, 1913 


Entertainment  Programs  159 

After  a  half  hour  of  this  and  when  the  boys  were  completely  be- 
wildered, a  loud  voice  called  **Halt!"  and  ice-cold  fingers  removed 
the  blindfolds  and  each  boy  was  turned  round  three  or  four  times. 

They  were  in  a  place  which  seemed  entirely  strange  to  them,  al- 
though they  knew  every  farm  for  miles  around.  But  this  dusky 
cave,  with  only  jack-o'-lantern  lights,  with  a  witch's  caldron  bubbling 
in  front  of  it,  and  six  black-hatted  witches  dancing  round  the  witch 
fire,  was  bewildering.  The  sound  of  rushing  waters  and  of  the  wind 
among  high  trees  added  to  the  perfection  of  the  setting  for  the  scene. 
Finally  an  automobile  light  gleamed  among  the  trees,  and  as  the  whole 
place  became  bright  they  found  that  they  were  in  a  gravel  pit  where 
half  of  them  had  worked  the  week  before.  Pine  boughs,  jack-o'- 
lanterns,  camp  fires,  and  rustic  stage  showed  that  the  girls'  fathers 
had  been  silent  partners  in  the  affair. 

Another  car  glided  up,  and  then  another,  and,  as  if  by  magic, 
trestles  and  boards  were  discovered  and  long  tables  were  forthcom- 
ing. Witches,  ghosts,  and  guests  flew  to  and  fro,  automobiles  un- 
loaded great  hampers  of  food,  and  a  father  and  a  mother  stayed  to 
make  the  supper  and  chaperon  the  crowd.  Sandwiches,  meats, 
salads,  cakes,  pies,  fruit  —  all  loaded  the  table ;  and  from  the  camp 
fire  came  hot  baked  beans  and  potatoes,  sizzling  ham  and  steaming 
coffee.  The  table  decorations  were  green  paper  snakes,  paper  pump- 
kins (candy  filled),  and  cookies  in  the  shape  of  cats  and  witch  hats. 

After  a  long  hour's  fun  at  the  table,  ghosts  and  witches  changed 
into  mere  girls,  the  crowd  was  divided  into  four  groups  of  ten,  and 
each  group  was  allowed  ten  minutes  to  prepare  for  a  "stunt"  to  be 
given  on  the  stage.  Driftwood  was  piled  on  the  fires,  and  no  better 
footlights  were  needed  for  the  ridiculous  program  that  followed. 
One  group  gave  charades,  taking  words  appropriate  to  Halloween, 
and  another  group  gave  an  impromptu  one-act  play,  each  actor 
making  up  his  own  lines. 

Just  at  midnight  five  more  well-trained  fathers  appeared,  and  as 
the  six  autoloads  of  youngsters  sped  homeward,  the  boys  decided 
that  it  would  take  them  a  year  to  get  up  a  party  for  the  girls  equal  to 
the  one  just  enjoyed. 

Let  the  Children  Have  a  Good  Time.  Not  every  teacher 
will  be  able  to  carry  out  such  an  elaborate  program  as 
this.    He  may  not  have  a  suitable  barn  or  automobiles 


160  The  Community  Center 

or  such  capable  assistants.  Perhaps  this  program  will 
not  fit  into  the  lives  of  very  many  communities.  Never-* 
theless,  it  is  possible  for  any  teacher  to  provide  both  the 
children  and  their  parents  with  an  enjoyable  evening  cele- 
brating Halloween.  Dismiss  at  this  time  the  "  constitu- 
tion and  by-laws  "  in  favor  of  a  good  time.  No  formal 
program  is  suggested  for  this  social  affair.  It  may  be 
best,  however,  to  have  a  brief  program  made  up  of  songs, 
or  of  such  readings  as  James  Whitcomb  Riley's  "  When 
the  Frost  Is  on  the  Pumpkin,"  Helen  Hunt  Jackson's 
"  October's  Bright  Blue  Weather,"  and  Washington 
Irving's  "  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow." 

Harvest  Home  Day 

This  occasion  is  usually  celebrated  in  Thanksgiving 
week.  In  the  South  it  may  be  an  all-day  picnic,  with 
games,  athletic  contests,  and  a  community  basket  dinner. 
Those  who  have  moved  into  other  communities  are  invited 
to  return  for  another  enjoyable  time.  It  may  be  made 
the  occasion  of  a  school  fair  or  agricultural  exhibit.  It 
ought  to  be  made  a  joyful  annual  gathering  of  the  com- 
munity and  its  friends.  If  the  meeting  is  held  at  the 
schoolhouse  and  a  program  is  to  be  rendered,  the  following 
may  be  suggestive : 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Devotional  exercises 

3.  Current  events 

4.  Reading  of  the  President's  Thanksgiving  Proclamation 

5.  Recitation  —  "Heap  High  the  Golden  Grain" 

6.  Paper  —  "Origin  of  Thanksgiving  Day" 

7.  Songs,  or  selections  by  band  or  orchestra 

8.  "The  Landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers" 

9.  Paper  —  "What  I  Am  Thankful  For" 
10.  Farm  pageant  or  tableaux 


Entertainment  Programs  161 

Christmas  Program 

Suggestions.  (1)  Most  of  the  school  journals  now  offer 
suggestions  and  programs  for  the  observance  of  Christmas, 
so  that  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  make  mention  of  them 
here.  This  program  should,  however,  impress  the  chil- 
dren with  the  proper  spirit  of  Christmas  giving.  The 
phrase  "  proper  spirit  '*  is  used  because  we  seem  to  have 
departed  from  it  in  our  celebration  of  Christmas  Day; 
that  is,  we  strive  to  outgive  one  another,  a  practice  which 
tends  to  embarrass  the  less  fortunate.  This  is  an  excellent 
occasion  for  setting  right  the  minds  of  the  rising  genera- 
tion. 

(2)  In  rural  communities  the  Christmas  tree  and  a 
Santa  Claus  will  prove  to  be  the  best  means  of  entertain- 
ment. Arrangements  should  be  made,  however,  whereby 
every  child  may  receive  a  present  from  the  tree.  The 
teacher  may  be  able  to  interest  some  of  the  citizens  to 
contribute  a  small  sum  to  carry  out  this  fundamental 
principle  of  impartiality.  In  former  days  teachers  had 
a  custom  of  "  treating "  the  scholars,  which  was  for 
the  latter  a  very  important  part  of  the  school  program. 
As  we  remember  those  days,  the  custom  was  a  good  one, 
and  for  the  children  it  oftentimes  furnished  a  lot  of  enter- 
tainment in  itself.  There  is  no  reason,  so  far  as  we  can 
see,  why  the  custom  might  not  be  revived  with  some 
advantages,  for  in  some  country  districts,  where  the 
children  have  but  little  merriment  to  brighten  the  work 
of  learning  and  reciting  lessons,  a  frolic  of  this  kind,  that 
is,  the  Christmas  tree,  the  Santa  Claus,  and  the  teacher's 
treat  of  candy,  makes  a  red  letter  day  or  evening  for  the 
children.  That  in  itself  is  all  the  program  that  is  neces- 
sary for  a  general  good  time. 


162  The  Community  Center 

(3)  If  a  more  formal  program  is  desired,  it  should  be 
made  up  of  appropriate  readings,  songs,  and  informal  talks 
by  the  teacher  and  the  parents. 

A  Program 

1.  Song  —  "All  Hail  the  Power" 

2.  Devotional  exercises 

3.  Current  events 

4.  "What  the  Birth  of  Christ  Has  Meant  to  the  World" 

5.  Select  reading 

6.  "The  Meaning  of  Christmas" 

7.  Declamation 

8.  Song  —  "Come,  Thou  Almighty  King" 

9.  "Christmas  in  Other  Countries" 

10.  Select  reading 

11.  "The  Meaning  of  Christmas  Giving" 

12.  Ringing  of  Santa  Claus'  sleigh  bells 

References 

Consult  any  encyclopedia  and  such  other  books  as  are  available. 

Mabie,  The  Book  of  Christmas.     Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

Dickens,  Christmas  Stories.     American  Book  Company,  New  York. 

Moore,  The  Night  before  Christmas. 

Schauflfier,  Christmas.    Moffat,  Yard  &  Company,  New  York. 

Smith  and  Hazeltine,  Christmas  in  Legend  and  Story.  Lothrop,  Lee  & 
Shepard,  Boston. 

Dickinson,  Christmas  Stories  and  Legends.  Doubleday,  Page  &  Com- 
pany, Garden  City,  N.  Y. 

Read  Bible  story  of  Christmas,  St.  Luke,  II,  6-20. 

Illustrate  with  any  pictures  available  in  the  school  or  the  community. 

Music  Program 

Suggestions.  (1)  One  may  be  unable  to  read  music 
and  yet  be  able  to  provide  a  good  program,  through  the 
use  of  familiar  songs.  Even  if  one  does  not  sing,  he  may 
take  courage  from  the  fact  that  some  of  our  very  best 


Entertainment  Programs  163 

choral  directors  sing  very  indifferently.  If,  however, 
the  teacher  does  not  feel  capable  of  preparing  and  direct- 
ing a  music  program,  he  can  very  likely  find  some  one 
in  the  community  to  assist  him. 

(2)  The  old-time  singing  school,  like  the  spelling-bee, 
was  formerly  very  popular  among  country  people.  In 
days  gone  by  the  singing  master  was  a  familiar  and 
important  character  in  a  great  many  rural  communities, 
and  the  country  is  probably  the  loser  by  his  disappear- 
ance. A  few  years  ago  one  of  these  singing  masters  went 
into  a  certain  county  and  organized  a  number  of  singing 
schools.  He  traveled  from  one  to  the  other,  after  the 
custom  of  the  "  circuit  rider,"  living  among  the  people  of 
the  several  neighborhoods.  At  the  close  of  his  series  of 
lessons,  he  held  a  "  grand  musical  concert "  at  the  most 
central  school.  Three  thousand  people  assembled  and 
sang  together  the  songs  he  had  taught  them.  The  teacher 
may  not  be  able  to  duplicate  a  feat  of  this  sort ;  but  each 
teacher  can  organize  a  singing  school  or  chorus,  and  the 
spirit  and  the  pleasure  of  the  community  center  meetings 
will  be  greatly  enhanced  thereby.  If,  perchance,  there 
is  a  teacher  with  sufficient  musical  ability,  a  union  of 
all  the  schools  of  a  township  or  of  a  county  could  be  ef- 
fected. Such  a  gathering  of  singers  would  make  the  com- 
mon school  commencement  exercises  a  most  happy  occa- 
sion ;  it  could  also  be  made  an  annual  reunion  of  the  sev- 
eral community  centers. 

An  Interesting  Experiment.  In  order  to  show  how 
easy  it  is  to  interest  people  in  singing,  we  will  relate  an 
experiment  which  was  made  by  an  instructor  in  choral 
music  a  few  years  ago  at  a  state  university  summer  school. 
He  had  noticed  the  throngs  of  workmen  and  other  towns- 
people who,  with  no  apparent  purpose,  paraded  the  streets 


164  The  Community  Center 

on  a  Saturday  night;  so  he  conceived  the  idea  of  se- 
lecting a  central  place  and  throwing  the  words  of 
patriotic  songs  on  to  a  canvas  by  means  of  a  lantern, 
thus  attracting  the  passing  crowd.  He  made  no  public 
announcement. 

At  7 :  30  P.M.  he  appeared  with  two  interested  col- 
leagues in  the  court  house,  square  and  began  to  arrange 
the  canvas  and  the  lantern.  These  movements  attracted 
a  great  many  people  from  sheer  curiosity,  so  that  by  half 
past  eight  a  large  crowd  had  assembled,  wondering  what 
was  going  to  happen.  Then  he  explained  his  purpose 
and  invited  all  to  join  in  the  singing.  First  "  The  Star- 
Spangled  Banner  "  was  thrown  on  to  the  canvas.  The 
crowd  was  a  bit  timid  about  singing  this  selection,  doubt- 
less because  they  were  not  very  familiar  with  the  words, 
or  perhaps  because  it  is  a  very  difficult  song.  Next 
"  America "  appeared,  and  the  crowd  spontaneously 
began  a  clapping  of  hands.  They  drew  nearer  the  canvas 
and  sang  this  song  with  much  enthusiasm.  Then  fol- 
lowed "  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee,"  "  My  Old  Kentucky 
Home,"  "  Columbia,  the  Gem  of  the  Ocean,"  and  other 
familiar  hymns  and  folk  songs,  ten  in  all.  Near  the  close, 
the  crowd  asked  to  sing  "  America  "  again.  The  singing 
closed  with  "  Home,  Sweet  Home." 

After  the  first  song  all  timidity  seemed  to  disappear, 
and  the  singing  improved  as  the  program  progressed  until 
at  the  close  all  were  enthusiastic  singers.  One  elderly 
gentleman  was  heard  to  remark  that  he  had  not  sung  so 
much  in  a  year. 

A  notable  feature  of  the  experiment  was  the  behavior 
of  the  forty-odd  boys  who  happened  to  be  attracted  into 
the  crowd.  Without  directions  from  any  one  they  all 
sat  on  the  ground  in  a  group  just  in  front  of  the  canvas. 


Entertainment  Programs  165 

They  were  very  orderly  and  joined  heartily  in  the  singing 
of  every  selection  that  appeared. 

At  the  close  of  the  program  an  Italian  boy  fifteen  years 
of  age  came  forward  and  asked  how  he  might  secure  a 
copy  of  ''  Home,  Sweet  Home/'  saying  that  he  liked 
that.  A  song  book  containing  this  selection  was  given 
him.  It  was  estimated  that  at  least  a  thousand  people 
dropped  aside  from  among  the  passers-by  and  joined  in 
this  impromptu  affair.  The  experiment  demonstrated 
some  of  the  possibilities  of  community  singing.  Its 
distinguishing  features  were  its  impromptu  character 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  crowd  was  held  together 
without  the  aid  of  musical  instruments.  This  was  done 
by  pointing  to  the  words  with  a  long  pole,  which  also  served 
to  make  plain  to  the  crowd  the  rhythm  of  the  songs. 

The  illustrations  just  given  show  that  people  have  an 
innate  love  of  music.  Under  a  leader  it  is  easy  to  interest 
them  in  community  singing.  The  power  of  community 
singing  upon  community  life  and  its  wholesome  effects 
on  individuals  are  well  known.  If  a  community  sing 
together,  they  will  be  more  likely  to  work  together  on  any 
plan  of  community  improvement. 

(3)  It  may  not  be  possible  to  plan  music  entertain- 
ments upon  so  large  a  scale  as  has  been  indicated,  but 
nevertheless  let  them  be  undertaken  upon  a  scale  suited 
to  prevailing  conditions.  It  is  at  least  possible  to  organize 
the  school  as  a  chorus.  It  may  be  possible  to  organize 
a  girls'  glee  club  or  a  boys'  mandolin  club.  Let  singing 
be  a  prominent  part  of  every  meeting  and,  if  possible, 
arrange  a  few  programs  in  which  music  predominates. 
The  pupils  will  be  ever  ready  to  join  whole-heartedly 
in  any  such  undertaking.  For  suitable  material,  consult 
the  bibliography. 


166  The  Community  Center 

Stories  of  Great  Men 

Suggestions.  (1)  One  of  the  best  ways  of  teaching 
history  is  by  the  study  of  biography.  It  is  also  one  of 
the  most  effective  means  of  inspiring  the  young  to  per- 
sonal ambition  and  to  high  moral  principles.  A  program 
made  up  of  characteristic  stories  about  great  men  will  appeal 
to  both  young  and  old  and  will  be  instructive  as  well  as 
entertaining.  Parts  of  several  programs  or  occasionally  a 
whole  evening  may  be  devoted  to  biographical  story-telling. 

(2)  The  teacher  should  assist  those  who  may  be  assigned 
places  on  this  program  in  selecting  the  most  appropriate 
characters  as  subjects  and  the  best  stories  about  their 
lives  and  achievements.  The  biographies  of  Lincoln, 
Washington,  Joan  of  Arc,  Lloyd  George,  Clemenceau, 
and  hosts  of  the  world's  great  men  and  women  will  furnish 
abundant  material.  This  program  ought  to  encourage 
the  reading  of  books,  and  this  in  turn  ought  to  point  the 
need  for  a  larger  and  more  carefully  selected  library  than 
is  found  in  the  average  rural  school. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "A  Story  about  George  Washington" 

4.  "The  Funny  Side  of  Abraham  Lincoln" 

5.  "Personal  Recollections  of  a  Great  Man,"  by  a  citizen 

6.  "General  Lee,  the  Man" 

7.  "A  Story  about  My  Favorite  Hero  in  History,"  by  a  pupil 

8.  "Woodrow  Wilson,  the  Scholar-Statesman" 

9.  "Longfellow,  the  Child's  Friend" 
10.  Songs 

References 

Wade,  Leaders  to  Liberty.    Little,  Brown  &  Company,  Boston. 
Quiller-Couch,   The  Roll  Call  of  Honor.    Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons, 
New  York  City. 


Entertainment  Programs  167 

Gilbert,  More  Than  Conquerors.    The  Century  Company,  New  York 

City. 
Parkman,  Fighters  for  Peace.    The  Century  Company,  New  York. 
Parkman,  Heroes  of  Today.    The  Century  Company,  New  York. 
Perry,  Four  American  Inventors.    American  Book  Company,  New 

York. 
Kingsley,     Four   American   Explorers.    American   Book    Company, 

New  York. 
Hawthorne,     Biographical    Stories.    Houghton    Mifflin    Company, 

Boston. 
Williams,  Som£  Successful  Americans.     Ginn  &  Company,  Boston. 
Whitcomb,  Heroes  in  History.     Charles  E.  Merrill  Company,  New 

York. 

Travel  Program 

Suggestions.  (1)  We  should  bear  in  mind  that  in 
many  rural  communities  few  of  the  inhabitants  have 
traveled  much.  Some  of  the  older  folk  may  never  have 
been  far  from  their  immediate  community.  Children 
study  their  geographies  and  read  about  many  interesting 
places  and  things,  but  they  may  have  very  meager  con- 
ceptions about  them  after  all.  A  program  on  travel, 
therefore,  will  prove  to  be  both  entertaining  and  instruc- 
tive. 

(2)  A  travelogue  with  lantern  slides  is  very  illuminating 
if  arrangements  for  it  can  be  made.  Albums,  pictures, 
and  post  cards  may  be  used  with  good  effect.  The 
National  Geographic  Magazine  will  furnish  abundant 
material.  Moving  picture  machines  are  also  available 
at  comparatively  small  cost. 

(3)  The  best  travel  experiences  of  the  community 
should  be  drawn  upon  for  this  program.  Perhaps  one 
or  more  children  have  made  a  visit  to  a  distant  county 
or  city,  or  even  abroad.  There  may  be  some  children 
or  adults  who  have  come  from  a  foreign  country;  if  so, 


168  The  Community  Center 

they  may  make  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  pro- 
gram. By  the  use  of  maps,  charts,  etc.,  the  program 
can  be  made  a  valuable  geography  lesson  for  the  whole 
community. 

(4)  If  the  travel  experiences  of  the  community  are 
meager,  then  selected  readings  from  books  of  travel 
accompanied  by  maps  may  help  greatly  in  the  evening's 
entertainment. 

(5)  For  small  groups  fairly  well  informed  in  geography, 
several  travel  games  are  suitable.  One  of  the  best  known 
is  as  follows :  The  players  are  seated  in  a  circle,  and  one 
calls  the  name  of  a  country.  The  player  next  to  him  on 
the  left  must  then  name  a  country,  either  with  the  first 
or  the  last  letter  of  the  word  just  given.  Each  player 
to  the  left  does  the  same  in  succession.  A  definite  time, 
say  twenty  seconds,  should  be  fixed  in  which  each  player 
shall  pronounce  the  next  word.  Anybody  who  fails  to 
give  a  word  within  the  time  limit  fixed  drops  out  of  the 
game.  If  the  last  letter  of  the  word  pronounced  is  to 
be  the  initial  letter  of  the  next  word,  the  procedure  should 
be  as  follows :  *'  England  "  is  first  pronounced.  The 
next  player  says  "  Denmark.''  If  the  third  player 
cannot  recall  a  country  whose  name  begins  with  "  K," 
he  may  say  "  Kokomo,"  since  he  may  use  any  geographi- 
cal name,  be  it  country,  river,  island,  or  town.  The 
game  stops  when  nobody  can  find  a  name  with  which  to 
continue.  A  similar  game  can  be  played  using  the  cities 
or  towns  of  the  United  States. 

A  simpler  game  is  called  "Alphabet."  The  leader 
announces  a  geographic  name.  Each  player  must  an- 
nounce other  geographic  names  beginning  with  the  same 
letter.  For  example,  suppose  the  leader  says  "  Balti- 
more."   Then  we  might  have  in  succession:   Baltimore, 


Entertainment  Programs  169 

Buffalo,  Brunswick,  Baden,  Bowling  Green,  etc.,  observ- 
ing the  same  rules  as  in  the  other  game. 

The  teacher  will  have  to  determine  what  is  the  best 
program  in  view  of  the  local  conditions.  The  following 
may  be  suggestive : 

A  Program    . 

1.  Song,  led  by  school  choir 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Where  I  Spent  My  Vacation,"  by  a  pupil 

4.  "My  First  Visit  to  a  Great  City,"  by  a  pupil  or  citizen 

5.  "Where  I  Would  Go  if  I  Should  Follow  the  Stream  That 
Runs  Nearest  the  Schoolhouse" 

6.  "An  Ocean  Voyage,"  by  a  citizen  or  pupil 

7.  Song 

8.  "How  to  Travel  by  Reading  Books  on  Travel" 

9.  "Near-by  Places  of  Interest  to  the  Traveler" 

10.  "Five  Interesting  Places  in  the  United  States,"  by  a  pupil 

11.  Song 

References 

Carpenter,    Geographical   Readers    (series).     American   Book  Com- 
pany, New  York. 
Defoe,  Robinson  Crusoe.    American  Book  Company,  New  York. 
Ballou,  Footprints  of  Travel.     Ginn  &  Company,  Boston. 
Winslow,  Earth  and  Its  People.    D.  C.  Heath  &  Company,  New  York. 
Bowman,  South  America.    Rand,  McNally  &  Company,  Chicago. 
Huntington,  Asia.    Rand,  McNally  &  Company,  Chicago. 
Starr,  Strange  Peoples.    D.  C.  Heath  &  Company,  New  York. 


Motion  Pictures 

Suggestions.  Only  recently  have  motion  pictures 
made  their  way  into  rural  districts ;  heretofore  the  cities 
and  towns  have  seemed  to  enjoy  the  monopoly  of  this 
kind  of  entertainment.  Some  of  the  motion  picture 
companies  are  now  producing  a  good  quality  of  pictures 


170  The  Community  Center 

designed  especially  for  school  entertainments  and  for 
educational  purposes.  It  is  now  possible  to  produce  the 
best  motion  pictures  on  the  market  in  the  one-teacher 
rural  school  and  at  reasonable  expense. 

Homewood's  Motion  Pictures.  Mr.  Warren  Dunham 
Foster  has  perhaps  made  as  careful  study  of  the  motion 
picture  for  its  educative  and  entertaining  values  as  has 
any  one  else  up  to  this  time.  In  an  address  before  a 
convention  of  the  National  Education  Association  in 
New  York  City,  Mr.  Foster  made  the  following  state- 
ments: 

The  motion  picture  used  for  community  service  brought  Home- 
wood  people  to  the  centers  and  there  gave  them  something  very  much 
worth  while.  Homewood's  motion  pictures  competed  successfully 
with  commercial  theaters,  yet  presented  nothing  not  in  harmony 
with  the  dignity  of  the  school  and  the  furtherance  of  its  broad  edu- 
cational purposes.  Homewood  learned  that  in  this  city  of  New  York 
alone  one  half  million  people  see  motion  pictures  every  day,  while 
only  one  fifth  more  persons  attend  the  formal  schools  from  kinder- 
garten through  the  university.  Homewood  found  that  the  best 
figures  obtainable  indicate  that  one  person  in  five  in  the  United  States 
sees  motion  pictures  every  day.  Homewood  remembered  that  only 
one  person  in  five  in  the  United  States  is  supposed  to  attend  the  public 
school  system.  Twenty  million  people  see  motion  pictures  every 
day;  21,102,113  were  enrolled  in  all  educational  institutions  in  1912. 
Just  plain  folks  discover  that  the  motion  picture  takes  everywhere 
to  them,  that  it  destroys  for  them  the  otherwise  galling  limitations 
of  time,  space,  and  circumstance.  It  gives  them  not  pictures  but 
actual  transcripts  of  life  as  it  is  and  life  as  they  want  it  to  be.  Do 
we  wonder  that  overnight  the  motion  picture  has  become  a  great 
teacher?  Or  perhaps  the  great  teacher?  That  we  hail  it  as  the 
greatest  aid  to  education  since  the  invention  of  printing? 

In  Homewood  nothing  was  wrong  with  the  motion  picture.  Some- 
thing was  decidedly  wrong  with  the  hands  that  had  seized  upon  it. 
The  Homewood  school  had  left  the  motion  picture  to  the  commercial 
amusement  interests  instead  of  putting  it  to  work  for  educational 
and  social  ends.    At  last,  however,  the  school  made  its  alliance  with 


Entertainment  Programs  171 

the  motion  picture.  It  had  found  that  schools,  women's  clubs, 
and  churches  everywhere  are  presenting  recreational  motion  pictures 
for  community  service.  In  its  own  community  centers  and  schools, 
Homewood  is  now  using  the  best  in  drama,  literature,  science,  and 
travel.  Young  folks  and  old  come  to  be  entertained  —  as  is  their 
right  —  and  stay  to  be  entertained  and  educated.  Homewood 
finds  that  good  motion  pictures  cost  money,  but  that  its  people  are 
more  than  willing  to  pay  for  what  they  get. 

The  Motion  Picture  in  Country  Schoolhouses.  Cer- 
tain motion  picture  companies  are  now  giving  especial 
attention  to  motion  pictures  for  rural  and  village  com- 
munities. A  special  kind  of  film  is  being  manufactured 
which  is  non-inflammable;  with  this  improvement  the 
machine  can  be  set  up  and  used  in  any  schoolhouse  in 
the  land  without  danger  from  fire.  The  whole  outfit, 
including  the  machine,  the  canvas,  and  an  acetylene  gas 
tank  can  be  purchased  for  something  over  two  hundred 
dollars.  The  gas  tank  can  be  refilled  at  a  cost  of  one 
dollar  and  will  last  for  twenty  "  shows,''  making  the 
cost  of  gas  five  cents  for  each  night.  Films  can  be  rented 
at  a  comparatively  small  cost  and  they  can  be  exchanged 
at  any  time  for  new  films. 

Of  course,  not  many  one-teacher  schools  could  afford 
even  this  small  expense.  Nevertheless,  there  are  county 
superintendents,  district  supervisors,  county  and  district 
agricultural  agents,  any  of  whom  may  serve  as  a  coordi- 
nating agency  to  provide  motion  picture  shows,  say,  once 
a  month,  for  each  of  the  schools  within  his  territory. 
These  motion  picture  machines  can  be  purchased  on  the 
installment  plan,  so  that  a  small  admission  fee  of  ten  or 
fifteen  cents  will  keep  up  the  monthly  payments  and  pay 
the  rental  on  the  films  used. 

The  Motion  Picture  as  Teacher.  On  the  "  picture 
show  nights  "  larger  numbers  will  usually  be  present  than 


172  The  Community  Center 

at  any  other  meetings.  It  is  important,  however,  that 
the  motion  picture  programs  shall  vary  so  as  to  appeal 
as  far  as  possible  to  every  member  of  the  community. 
The  people  may  become  weary  of  too  much  information, 
especially  the  boys  and  girls;  while  the  adults  may  be- 
come weary  of  too  much  comedy.  A  very  good  plan  is 
to  have  three  films,  one  of  them  comedy,  and  the  other 
two  of  an  informational  nature.  Children  as  well  as 
adults  like  travelogues,  literary  productions  with  the 
story  prominent,  and  films  dealing  with  the  lives  and 
habits  of  birds  and  other  animals.  If  properly  conducted, 
the  motion  picture  can  be  made  instructive  as  well  as 
entertaining.  People  who  will  not  read  a  book  or  a  bulle- 
tin will  look  understandingly  at  a  picture  with  the  mini- 
mum of  effort.  A  great  many  observers  have  testified  to 
the  fact  that  persons  who  have  never  found  the  best  fic- 
tion entertaining  do  really  get  a  fair  appreciation  of  the 
same  subject  matter  from  the  screen.  The  writer  made 
an  interesting  observation  some  time  ago  bearing  on  this 
point.  He  happened  to  be  seated  at  the  same  table  in 
a  cafe  with  two  traveling  salesmen,  one  of  whom  the  night 
before  had  seen  on  the  screen  Hugo's  Les  Miserahles. 
He  told  his  companion  the  whole  story,  and  with  remark- 
ably accurate  details.  Their  conversation  revealed  the 
fact  that  neither  of  them  had  ever  read  the  book  or  had 
even  known  of  the  book's  existence.  After  the  story 
was  told,  the  one  who  had  rehearsed  it  said,  "  Man,  if 
the  schools  had  given  us  that  sort  of  thing  when  we  were 
kids,  we  sure  would  have  learned  something,  don't  you 
think?  "  That  remark  contains  a  good  suggestion,  both 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  community  center  and  of  the 
more  formal  school  work.  Experience  has  proved  beyond 
question,   we  believe,   that  the   teaching  of   literature, 


Entertainment  Programs  173 

geography,  and  science  can  be  made  very  much  more 
attractive  and  effective  when  the  classroom  instruction  is 
supplemented  by  the  motion  picture.  And  it  is  not  too 
much  to  expect  that  a  great  many  adults  who  through 
no  fault  of  their  own  failed  in  their  earlier  days  to  get  a 
fair  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  these  subjects,  may 
yet  do  so  by  means  of  the  motion  picture. 


The  Indian 

Suggestions.  (1)  The  Indian  character  is  interesting 
both  to  children  and  to  adults;  interesting  to  children 
mainly  because  the  stage  of  his  development  is  so  akin 
to  that  of  the  growing  boy  or  girl,  and  to  adults  because 
he  figures  so  prominently  in  American  history  and  litera- 
ture. At  any  rate,  a  program  on  Indians  generally  proves 
to  be  popular ;  it  can  also  be  made  educative. 

(2)  If  possible,  this  program  should  be  rendered  largely 
by  citizens  who  possess  some  intimate  knowledge  of  In- 
dians. Some  of  the  older  citizens  may  have  had  some 
personal  experiences  with  them  in  the  earlier  days.  A 
good  many  of  the  children  will  have  seen  Indians  with  the 
circus.  On  the  other  hand,  the  program  may  have  a 
local  bearing  upon  the  pioneer  days  of  the  early  settlers. 

(3)  Boys  will  take  great  delight  in  wearing  their  best 
Indian  costumes  for  such  programs.  Those  who  do  not 
have  Indian  costumes  can  easily  prepare  them  from  coffee 
sacks,  blankets,  feathers,  etc.,  without  expense. 

(4)  This  program  may  be  made  an  incentive  to  reading 
books  of  Indian  stories  in  the  school  library.  The  teacher 
should  take  plenty  of  time  in  preparation.  The  drama- 
tization of  realistic  stories  about  Indians  will  probably 
prove  to  be  the  best  entertainment.    It  is  one  program 


174  The  Community  Center 

in  which  the  children  will  surely  be  interested  if  they  are 
allowed  to  have  their  bows  and  arrows  and  such  other 
Indian  relics  as  they  may  possess  or  as  they  may  devise 
for  this  occasion. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Who  Are  the  Indians?" 

4.  Indian  war  dance.  (To  be  taught  the  children  for  this  occa- 
sion) 

5.  "Indian  Traits,  Good  and  Bad" 

6.  Dramatization  of  an  Indian  story 

References 

The  Childhood  of  Hiawatha,  a  dramatization  of  Hiawatha,  by  Mrs. 
Bessie  Whitely.     C.  C.  Birchard  &  Company,  Boston. 

Chase,  Children  of  the  Wigwam.  Educational  Publishing  Company, 
Boston. 

Roulet,  Indian  Folk  Tales.     American  Book  Company,  New  York. 

Cooper,  The  Deerslayer.     American  Book  Company,  New  York. 

Newell,  Indian  Stories.    Silver,  Burdett  &  Company,  Boston. 

Hazard  and  Button,  Indians  and  Pioneers.  Silver,  Burdett  &  Com- 
pany, Boston. 

Austin,  The  Trail  Book.    Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 

Eastman,  Indian  Legends  Retold.    Little,  Brown  &  Company,  Boston. 

Illustrative  pictures,  post  cards,  etc. 

Local  History 

Suggestions.  (1)  A  program  dealing  with  local  history 
can  be  made  both  entertaining  and  instructive;  it  may 
also  be  the  means  of  stirring  up  a  bit  more  of  community 
pride.  If,  for  example,  it  be  shown  that  the  schoolhouse 
is  no  better  than  the  one  the  parents  attended  school  in, 
although  the  farms,  the  homes,  the  roads,  etc.,  have  been 


Entertainment  Programs  175 

improved  meanwhile,  the  comparison  may  be  strongly- 
suggestive  of  a  new  schoolhouse. 

(2)  Both  parents  and  pupils  should  be  represented  on 
a  local  history  program.  For  details  of  preparation,  see 
page  83. 

(3)  See  that  every  important  event  is  chronicled. 

(4)  See  to  it  also  that  no  single  family  receives  mention 
out  of  proportion  to  its  merits.  Care  should  be  taken 
to  avoid  creating  any  bitterness  in  the  community,  such 
as  might  occur  through  the  revival  of  old  controversial 
questions. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "The  First  Settler  and  His  Times" 

4.  "The  Oldest  Church" 

5.  "The  Schoolhouse  Then  and  Now" 

6.  "How  We  Have  Grown  Educationally" 

7.  "Farming  To-day  and  Forty  Years  Ago" 

8.  "Introduction  of  Improved  Farm  Machinery" 

9.  "Introduction  of  improved  Live  Stock" 

10.  "Successful  Men  Who  Were  Home  Boys" 

11.  Songs 

References 
History  of  the  state 
History  of  the  county 

Old  records,  reports,  letters,  photographs,  etc. 
State  superintendent's  biennial  reports 
Census  reports 

Bible  Stories 

Suggestions.  (1)  A  few  programs  may  be  made  up 
wholly  or  in  part  of  Bible  stories,  —  stories  of  the  great 
characters  and  of  the  great  events  of  the  Bible.  Learn- 
ing these  stories  so  as  to  be  able  to  tell  them  before  an 


176  The  Community  Center 

audience  will  be  of  great  value  to  the  children.    The 
parents  also  should  have  places  on  these  programs. 

(2)  It  may  be  well  to  have  the  children  learn  these 
stories  and  tell  them  before  the  school  as  devotional  exer- 
cises, previous  to  the  date  of  the  meeting. 

(3)  The  teacher  should  direct  the  children,  and  perhaps 
the  parents  as  well,  in  the  selection  of  the  stories  to  be  told. 
Books  of  Bible  stories  will  be  found  in  many  country  homes. 

(4)  Avoid  any  discussions  or  controversies  over  bibli- 
cal doctrines.  Let  this  program  be  strictly  a  Bible  story 
program.  No  program  is  suggested  but  instead  some 
subjects  for  stories  are  presented. 

Some  Good  Stories  to  Tell 

Abraham  and  Lot  —  Genesis  xiii-xiv 

The  Destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  —  Genesis  xviii  and  first 

thirty  verses  of  xix 
Joseph  and  His  Brethren  —  Genesis  xxxvii,  xxxix,  xlvii 
Early  Life  and  Call  of  Moses  —  Exodus  i-iv 
The  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea  —  Exodus  xiii,  xiv 
Crossing  the  Jordan  —  Joshua  iii-iv 
The  Life  and  Death  of  Samson  —  Judges  xiii-xvi 
The  Story  of  Ruth  and  Naomi  —  Ruth  i-iv 
The  Anointing  of  Saul  —  1  Samuel  viii-x 
Saul's  Disobedience  —  1  Samuel  xv 
The  Story  of  David  and  Goliath  —  1  Samuel  xxii-xxiii 
The  Friendship  of  David  and  Jonathan  —  1  Samuel  xviii :  1-14,  xx 
Stories  of  Elijah  —  1  Kings  xvi-xix 
The  Capture  of  Jerusalem  -^  2  Kings  xxv 
Daniel  and  the  Fiery  Furnace  —  Daniel  i-iii 
Daniel  in  the  Den  of  Lions  —  Daniel  vi 
The  Story  of  Jonah  —  Book  of  Jonah 

References 

Bible  story  books  found  in  every  community. 
Sunday  School  les&on  leaves. 


Entertainment  Programs  177 

Washington's  Birthday 

Suggestions.  (1)  February  offers  a  golden  oppor- 
tunity for  lessons  in  patriotism.  The  birthdays  of  Wash- 
ington and  Lincoln  may  be  celebrated  with  a  single  pro- 
gram. Special  care  should  be  taken  in  its  preparation 
and  patriotism  should  be  the  dominant  motive. 

(2)  Suggestions  for  this  program  have  been  so  skill- 
fully worked  out  elsewhere  ^  that  we  take  the  liberty  of 
quoting : 

1.  As  in  the  corn  festival,  careful  planning  will  permit  much 
of  the  school  work  to  be  used  for  the  program. 

a.  Invitations  may  be  made  by  the  pupils.  Cut  out  a  shield, 
paste  on  it  a  picture  of  Lincoln  or  Washington.  Use  this  for  cover 
of  the  invitation. 

6.  Little  booklets  containing  a  picture  of  either  hero,  with  quota- 
tions, etc.,  may  be  made  to  give  to  the  parents  who  come  and  sent 
to  those  who  cannot.  (Postage  stamps  furnish  a  picture  of  Lincoln 
and  Washington.)  Or  cut  out  cherries  from  red,  leaves  from  green, 
and  stems  from  brown  paper  and  paste  them  on  a  shield. 

c.  Let  the  chart  class  have  a  reading  lesson  about  the  flag.  Let 
each  carry  a  flag,  and  at  the  close  of  the  lesson  repeat : 

**  I  love  the  name  of  Washington ; 
I  love  my  country  too ; 
I  love  the  flag,  the  dear  old  flag. 
With  its  red  and  white  and  blue." 

d.  Tell  a  good  story  of  Washington  or  Lincoln  to  your  school. 
Use  a  map  and  make  it  impressive.  Then  let  one  of  your  older  pupils 
tell  it  at  the  program.  The  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton  are 
good.  For  Lincoln  there  are  many,  but  a  selection  from  "The  Per- 
fect Tribute"  is  excellent. 

e.  Have  a  flag  drill.  Use  it  for  a  rest  exercise,  and  also  for  indoor 
exercise  during  February ;  then  it  is  ready  for  the  program. 

1  Social  and  Civic  Work  in  Country  CommunitieSf  Bulletin  No. 
18,  Wisconsin  Department  of  Education. 


178  The  Community  Center' 

/.  Let  the  history  class  read  about  the  first  flag  and  write  stories 
showing  several  conversations  about  it. 

g.  Let  each  child  wear  a  badge,  a  picture  of  Washington  or  Lin- 
coln on  a  white  circle  of  cardboard  with  ribbons  of  red,  white  and 
blue  paper  pasted  back  of  it.    Have  one  for  each  guest  also. 

2.   Other  interesting  features  of  the  evening  may  be : 

a.  The  music  —  Have  just  as  many  stirring  and  patriotic  songs 
as  your  people  know,  but  be  sure  to  invite  the  audience  to  rise  and 
sing  with  you  in  the  last  number,  "America."  See  that  your  pupils 
know  every  word. 

b.  Home-made  flags  of  other  nations.  Boys  may  prepare  staffs, 
girls  may  copy  flags  from  dictionary,  using  cambric  or  tissue  paper. 
Then  prepare  an  exercise  telling  about  them,  and  close  with  some  one 
of  the  many  tributes  to  our  flag,  —  all  other  flags  dropped,  ours 
high.  This  would  be  good  for  closing,  and  the  audience  could  be 
invited  to  rise  for  "America." 

(3)  If  possible,  the  room  should  be  decorated  with 
American  flags.  The  personal  character  of  Washington 
should  be  strongly  emphasized  by  reading  or  reciting 
appropriate  selections  from  literature.  This  is  a  good 
opportunity  for  tableaux. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Washington  and  His  Times" 

4.  "The  Incident  of  the  Cherry  Tree  as  an  Example  to  Young 
Americans,"  by  a  citizen 

5.  Songs 

6.  "Washington,  the  Soldier" 

7.  "Washington  as  a  Farmer" 

8.  "What  I  Think  is  the  Best  Story  about  the  Life  of  Washing- 
ton," by  a  pupil 

9.  Tableau  —  "Washington  at  Valley  Forge" 
10.  Songs 


Entertainment  Programs  179 


References 

Consult  any  Life  of  Washington. 

See  texts  on  United  States  history  and  literature. 

Hill,  On  the  Trail  of  Washington.    D.  Appleton  &  Company,  New 

York. 
Scudder,  George  Washington.    Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 
Brooks,   The  True  Story  of  George   Washington.    Lothrop,  Lee  & 

Shepard,  Boston. 
Guerber,  Story  of  the  Thirteen  Colonies.    American  Book  Company, 

New  York. 
Washington's  Rules  of  Conduct,  etc.     Houghton   Mifflin  Company, 

Boston. 
Illustrative  pictures. 


Lincoln's  Birthday 

Suggestions.  (1)  Where  Lincoln's  birthday  is  regu- 
larly celebrated,  the  program  submitted  below  may  be 
suggestive. 

(2)  All  reference  to  politics  or  partisanship  should  be 
strictly  avoided. 

A  Program 

1.  Song  —  "America" 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Lincoln's  School  Days" 

4.  "Lincoln  and  the  Pig" 

5.  "Lincoln,  the  Rail-Splitter" 

6.  "Lincoln,  the  Statesman" 

7.  Song  —  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner" 

8.  Lincoln's  "Gettysburg  Speech,"  read  by  a  pupil 

9.  "Lincoln,  the  Man" 

10.  Lowell's  "Ode  to  Lincoln,"  recited  by  a  pupil 

11.  Whitman's  "0  Captain,  My  Captain,"  recited  by  a  pupil 

12.  Song  —  "Columbia,  the  Gem  of  the  Ocean" 


180  The  Community  Center 


References 

Consult  texts  on  history  and  literature. 

Nicolay,  The  Boy's  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  Century  Company, 
New  York. 

Gordy,  Abraham  Lincoln.    Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Morgan,  Abraham  Lincoln,  The  Boy  and  the  Man.  Macmillan 
Company,  New  York. 

Baldwin,  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  American  Book  Company,  New 
York. 

Chase,  Boyhood  of  Famous  Americans.  Educational  Publishing  Com- 
pany, Boston. 

Pictures,  photographs,  post  cards,  etc. 

Charnwood,  Life  of  Lincoln.    Henry  Holt  &  Company,  New  York. 


'      CHAPTER  XII 
COUNTRY   LIFE   PROGRAMS 

Community  Building.  The  programs  suggested  under 
"  entertainments  ''  are  intended  primarily  for  entertain- 
ment or  recreation.  If  skillfully  directed,  while  serving 
this  purpose  they  will  also  help  to  establish  a  spirit  of 
community  social  life  and  neighborliness.  In  other  words, 
the  community  will  have  had  an  opportunity  to  accu- 
mulate sufficient  social  capital  to  begin  community  build- 
ing. As  has  already  been  indicated,  the  teacher  will 
have  to  decide  what  kind  of  program  is  best  suited  to 
prepare  for  earnest  constructive  work,  and  how  many 
such  programs  will  be  necessary. 

In  certain  favored  communities  very  few  programs 
will  be  necessary  before  launching  through  the  community 
center  meetings  a  campaign  for  some  definite  community 
improvement.  This  campaign  may  be  begun  by  a  debate 
or  a  discussion  of  the  needed  improvements  as  one  feature 
of  an  entertainment  program.  If,  for  example,  health 
conditions  have  been  allowed  to  become  dangerous  to 
the  public  welfare,  a  local  physician  may  be  put  upon 
the  program  to  tell  the  people  what  dangers  to  health 
are  prevailing  and  to  outline  the  remedy  for  such  condi- 
tion. If  typhoid  has  stricken  some  of  the  families,  then 
an  address  from  a  physician,  or  a  motion  picture  showing 
the  dangers  of  stagnant  water  and  of  the  common  house 
fly,  would  be  of  esr>ecial  interest  and  value.    A  presenta- 

181 


182  The  Community  Center 

tion  of  such  facts  should  in  every  case,  either  at  the  same 
meeting  or  at  the  following  one,  be  followed  by  a  discus- 
sion of  ways  and  means  of  ridding  the  community  of  the 
dangers  from  typhoid  germs.  If,  fortunately,  bad  health 
conditions  do  not  exist,  then  let  the  teacher  and  his 
advisers  select  some  other  phase  of  the  community  which 
needs  betterment.  It  may  be  a  proposition  to  improve 
the  schoolhouse  or  the  school  yard,  to  provide  better 
furniture  and  school  equipment,  to  provide  a  school 
library  or  increase  the  number  of  its  volumes,  to  improve 
the  public  highways  or  to  improve  methods  of  agriculture. 

Begin  with  a  Simple  Problem.  Usually  the  teacher 
will  make  greatest  progress,  unless  some  impending  danger 
threatens,  by  first  attacking  the  problem  nearest  at 
hand.  Very  early  in  the  term  she  will  be  able  to  cele- 
brate Clean-up-and-Beautify  Day,  when  most  of  the 
parents  can  be  interested  in  cleaning  up  the  school 
grounds,  in  decorating  the  inside  walls  of  the  school- 
room, or  in  providing  a  school  library.  For  the  pur- 
pose of  decorating  the  walls  of  the  schoolroom,  and  of 
securing  or  increasing  the  school  library,  the  school 
may  have  a  box-supper,  a  pie-  or  peanut-social,  or  a 
school  entertainment.  From  these  simpler  beginnings 
the  community  center  will  easily  proceed  to  an  attack 
upon  the  harder  problems  of  community  building,  such 
as  better  agricultural  methods,  the  improvement  of  the 
public  roads,  etc. 

Vary  the  Programs.  But  let  no  teacher  make  the  mis- 
take of  first  having  all  the  programs  for  entertainment 
and  then  all  later  programs  for  community  improvement. 
In  the  first  place,  no  teacher  would  have  time  to  carry 
out  such  a  plan;  and  in  the  second  place,  the  people 
would  tire  of  it.    After  the  first  few  programs  for  enter- 


Country  Life  Programs  183 

tainment,  selected  with  reference  to  seasons  or  to  pre- 
vailing conditions,  either  have  each  program  include  both 
entertainment  and  discussions  of  rural  life  problems  or 
have  an  entertainment  alternate  with  a  program  of  more 
serious  nature. 

One  Problem  at  a  Time.  Furthermore,  it  is  generally- 
unwise  to  attack  too  many  community  improvements 
in  a  single  year.  The  mere  discussion  of  the  community's 
needs  will  accomplish  very  little.  Action  is  necessary 
to  community  improvement.  If  the  community  can 
make  one  permanent  improvement  in  a  year,  that  step 
will  lead  in  due  time  to  many  other  permanent  improve- 
ments; because  it  so  happens  that  when  a  community 
has  once  come  together  for  the  solution  of  a  problem, 
the  habit  thus  acquired  and  their  pride  in  the  thing 
accomplished  are  sufficient  stimuli  for  them  to  continue 
working  for  community  improvement. 

Create  Friendly  Rivalry.  If  adjoining  neighborhoods 
can  be  induced  to  rival  each  other  in  a  friendly  way  in 
community  improvements,  each  will  have  an  added 
stimulus  back  of  every  community  undertaking.  Cities 
rival  one  another.  Why  not  rural  communities?  The 
spirit  of  healthful  rivalry  in  community  improvements 
may  be  made  to  grow  out  of  the  rivalry  of  two  or  more 
communities  in  connection  with  school  athletics,  spelling 
bees,  debates,  etc.  In  any  such  rivalry,  a  very  effective 
but  inexpensive  device  is  a  school  "  banner ''  to  be  held 
in  the  custody  of  the  successful  school  or  community. 
The  skillful  teacher  can  also  appropriate  this  symbol 
of  community  pride  as  a  strong  incentive  to  her  pupils 
to  make  their  school  the  best  in  the  contest  unit.  The 
following  programs  may  be  suggestive  as  means  of  improv- 
ing country  life  in  all  its  phases. 


184  The  Community  Center 

Country  Life 

Suggestions.  (1)  This  program  should  have  a  dual 
object:  (a)  to  point  out  the  most  prominent  fallacies 
which  are  reported  to  induce  country  people  to  move 
to  the  city ;  and  (6)  to  indicate  the  way  to  make  country 
life  both  profitable  and  enjoyable. 

(2)  One  fallacy  in  particular  should  be  made  plain; 
namely,  that  not  every  one  who  goes  to  the  city  either 
succeeds  or  has  a  good  time.  Many  teachers  are  prone 
to  hold  up  to  the  country  boys  and  girls  the  men  and 
women  who  have  achieved  success  as  lawyers,  physicians, 
politicians,  business  men,  etc.,  but  fail  at  the  same  time 
to  point  out  that  a  much  larger  number  have  gone  to  the 
city  only  to  be  swallowed  up  in  wretched  lives  of  poverty 
and  degradation. 

(3)  On  the  other  hand,  the  advantages  of  intensive 
farming  and  of  the  increased  prices  of  farm  products 
ought  to  be  made  prominent  in  this  program.  Objection 
may  be  made  to  the  promised  advantage  of  higher  prices 
for  farm  products,  on  the  ground  that  these  high  prices, 
induced  by  abnormal  conditions,  will  be  reduced  now 
that  these  conditions  are  removed.  But  there  are  nearly 
as  many  mouths  to  feed  now  as  then  and  the  destruction 
of  tillable  lands  on  foreign  battlefields  has  greatly  reduced 
the  productive  acreage  of  the  world.  Some  of  our  closest 
students  of  economics  predict  that  never  again,  or  not 
for  many  years,  shall  we  be  able  to  purchase  farm  products 
at  greatly  reduced  prices.  The  enhanced  value  of  farm 
lands  would  seem  to  bear  out  this  conclusion. 

(4)  The  improved  social  opportunities  of  country  people 
ought  also  to  be  given  especial  attention.  Perhaps  the 
success  of  the  community  center  has  already  demon- 


Country  Life  Programs  185 

strated  this  fact.  The  improvement  of  public  highways, 
the  use  of  the  automobile,  the  extension  of  trolley  lines 
into  country  districts,  the  improvement  of  schools  and 
churches,  improved  methods  of  agriculture,  the  rural 
telephone,  the  free  delivery  of  mails,  making  possible  the 
daily  newspaper,  magazines,  etc.  —  all  contribute  to  the 
social,  moral,  and  economic  welfare  of  the  country  people. 
The  country  is  now  a  better  place  to  live  in  than  ever 
before,  and  it  promises  even  more  for  the  future. 

A  Program 

1.  Song  —  "Swinging  'Neath  the  Old  Apple  Tree" 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "The  Fanner  His  Own  Boss" 

4.  "Why  I  Like  the  Country" 

5.  "Pitfalls  of  City  Life" 

6.  Song  —  "There's  a  Good  Time  Coming" 

7.  "  Improvement  of  the  Country  Home  " 

8.  "How  to  Make  Living  in  the  Country  Enjoyable" 

9.  "Labor-Saving  Devices  for  the  Home" 

10.  "  Some  of  the  Beauties  of  Country  Life" 

11.  Songs  " 

References 

Bulletins  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  Wash- 
ington, D.C.i 

No.  185  —  Beautifying  the  Home  Grounds. 

No.  270  —  Modern  Conveniences  for  the  Farm  Home. 

No.  494  —  Lawn  Soil  and  Lawns. 

No.  195  —  Annual  Flowering  Plants. 

No.  463  —  The  Sanitary  Privy. 
Warner,  Being  a  Boy.    Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 
Abbott,  A  Boy  on  a  Farm.     American  Book  Company,  New  York. 
Barbe,  Going  to  College.    Hinds,  Noble  &  Eldridge,  New  York. 

1  Some  of  the  bulletins  listed  above,  also  those  in  connection  with 
subsequent  programs,  are  obtainable  now  only  by  paying  a  nominal 
sum  of  from  five  cents  to  twenty  cents  each. 


186  The  Community  Center 

Good  Roads 

Suggestions.  (1)  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  when  the 
question  of  improving  the  country  roads  is  mentioned, 
the  very  people  who  need  them  the  most  are  sometimes 
the  ones  who  raise  the  most  opposition.  The  difficulty 
here  lies  in  the  fact  that  such  a  person  has  not  thought 
seriously  about  the  matter.  His  grandfather,  his  father, 
and  he^  himself  had  put  up  with  existing  conditions. 
Why  change  the  custom? 

The  following  incident  is  illustrative  of  how  difficult 
it  is  for  any  one  to  take  the  initiative  in  improving  a 
bad  situation.  A  year  or  two  ago  the  writer  was  driving 
along  a  country  road  with  a  county  superintendent  of 
schools.  As  we  climbed  a  rather  steep  hill  we  came  upon 
a  group  of  teamsters  unloading  lumber.  In  response  to 
an  inquiry  as  to  why  they  were  unloading  lumber  at  that 
place,  the  superintendent  explained  that  the  road  was 
so  steep  for  about  fifty  yards  that  a  full  load  could  not 
be  hauled  over  it,  so  the  teamster  had  either  to  make  the 
twenty-five  miles  with  a  half  load,  or  else  double  back  for 
half  the  load  at  the  foot  of  the  grade.  For  a  hundred 
years  the  farmers  had  been  making  this  trip  with  half 
loads  because  of  this  fifty  yards  of  steep  grade,  which 
could  easily  have  been  improved  by  a  half  dozen  men  in 
a  few  days.  The  probabilities  are  that  every  one  of 
them  had  noted  his  own  personal  loss  and  wished  that 
the  grade  had  been  improved,  but  there  had  been  no 
thought  of  getting  the  neighborhood  together  to  change 
the  grade. 

(2)  Therefore,  the  opportunity  for  the  community 
center  is  to  get  the  people  together  and  help  them  to  study 
some  practical  lessons  of  road  building ;  for  example ; 


Country  Life  Programs  187 

Lesson  One.  If  a  farmer  has  one  thousand  bushels  of  apples 
which  he  cannot  market  because  of  the  bad  condition  of  the  roads, 
and  if  apples  are  worth  one  dollar  a  bushel,  how  much  does  he  lose 
on  account  of  bad  roads? 

Lesson  Two.  If  the  same  farmer  pays  taxes  on  $10,000  at  the 
rate  of  ten  cents  on  each  one  hundred  dollars  in  order  to  have  passable 
roads  to  the  market,  how  much  does  he  save  the  first  year  on  account 
of  the  improved  roads? 

Lesson  Three.  If  a  farmer  can  haul  twice  as  much  and  make 
twice  as  many  loads  on  good  roads  as  he  can  on  bad  roads,  what  will 
be  the  value  of  good  roads  to  him  when  he  hauls  two  tons  of  coal 
at  one  dollar  a  ton,  making  four  loads  a  day  for  two  hundred  days? 

Lesson  Four.  If  the  same  farmer  pays  $100  in  road  taxes  each 
year,  in  order  to  have  maximum  efficiency  for  himself  and  his  team, 
what  will  be  his  annual  profit? 

Lesson  Five.  If  a  man  pays  no  taxes  whatsoever  for  the  support 
of  roads  that  taxpayers  improve,  why  should  he  vote  against  a  special 
road  tax? 

Popular  Intelligence.  The  reason  why  some  people 
oppose  a  bond  issue  or  a  special  road  tax  for  the  improve- 
ment of  public  highways  is  usually  because  they  have 
not  given  these  questions  intelligent  thought.  One 
great  trouble  with  all  propositions  involving  the  raising 
of  money  is  that  the  objectors  think  only  of  the  total 
amount,  say  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  not  of  the  twenty- 
five  cents  or  one  dollar  or  ten  dollars  that  the  improve- 
ment will  cost  them  individually.  For  example,  at  a 
certain  citizen's  meeting  where  the  establishment  of  a 
graded  and  high  school  was  being  discussed,  only  one 
man  objected  to  the  proposition.  He  asked  all  sorts  of 
questions  and  finally  remarked  that  if  the  proposition 
carried  he  would  be  a  ruined  man,  that  the  taxes  would 
"  break  him  up.''  One  of  the  citizens  present  publicly 
asked  this  gentleman  how  that  could  happen,  "  when  to 
my  certain  knowledge,"  said  he,  "  your  taxes  have  been 


188  The  Community  Center 

returned  delinquent  for  seven  years."  Another  obstacle 
is  the  use  of  a  petition.  The  dangerous  element  in  the 
petition  is  that  the  one  who  circulates  it  presents  only 
one  side  of  the  question,  and,  if  in  opposition,  usually 
in  the  most  exaggerated  form  possible;  and  also  that 
most  people  will  sign  such  a  petition  without  much  regard 
to  its  meaning,  often  for  the  sake  of  satisfying  the  peti- 
tioner. Upon  one  occasion,  for  example,  about  one 
third  of  the  community  were  found  to  have  signed  two 
petitions,  one  for  and  one  against  the  establishment  of  a 
consolidated  school;  not  that  they  intended  to  be  dis- 
honest, but  simply  because  they  did  not  understand 
exactly  what  they  were  doing. 

The  best  method  of  settling  the  question  of  building 
roads,  or  of  making  any  other  community  improvement, 
is  usually  to  get  the  people  together  at  the  schoolhouse, 
let  them  have  all  the  information  available  on  the  practi- 
cal side  of  the  question  —  including  some  practical  prob- 
lems about  the  roads  of  the  immediate  community  — 
and  then  let  them  discuss  the  proposition  in  all  its  phases. 
Especially,  it  should  be  possible  for  each  individual 
to  understand  the  actual  cost  to  him  in  dollars  and  cents. 
It  might  be  a  good  plan  to  have  bogus  tax-tickets  made 
out  showing  each  individual  just  how. much  of  the  amount 
to  be  raised  he  would  actually  have  to  pay  in  taxes. 

The  following  program  is  offered  as  a  suggestion  for 
one  meeting.  If  the  proposition  should  come  to  an  elec- 
tion, other  programs,  or  parts  of  programs,  should  be 
arranged. 

A  Program 

1.  Song,  led  by  school  choir 

2.  Current  events 

3.  A  map  showing  the  public  roads  of  the  neighborhood.    (This 


Country  Life  Programs  189 

may  be  drawn  on  the  blackboard  by  one  of  the  pupils  before  the 
meeting  begins.) 

4.  **  Inconvenience  of  the  Roads  as  They  Are,"  by  a  citizen 

5.  "Are  Our  Roads  Properly  Located?"  by  a  citizen 

6.  "How  Much  Does  This  Community  Lose  Yearly  by  Not 
Having  Good  Roads?"  by  a  pupil 

7.  Song 

8.  "What  Would  It  Cost  to  Make  Our  Roads  What  They  Should 
Be?    Would  It  Pay?"  by  a  citizen 

9.  "The  Best  Means  of  Improving  Our  Roads,"  by  a  citizen 

10.  "When  Should  We  Begin?"  by  a  citizen 

11.  Song 

,  References 

The  following  farmers'  bulletins  may  be  obtained  by  writing  to  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. : 
No.    95  —  Good  Roads  for  Farmers. 
No.  505  —  Benefits  of  Supervised  Roads. 
No.  311  —  Sand,  Clay  and  Burnt  Clay  Roads. 
No.  136  —  Earth  Roads. 
No.  321  —  The  Split-Log  Drag. 

No.    31  —  Mileage  and  Cost  of  Public  Roads  in  the  United  States. 
No.    39  —  Highway  Bridges  and  Culverts. 
No.    95  —  Special  Road  Problems  of  the  United  States. 
No.  338  —  Macadam  Roads. 


Mother's  Day 

This  is  a  beautiful  custom  that  has  lately  come  into 
American  life.  Sentiment  is  the  dominant  idea  and  this 
is  well,  for  we  all  reverence  and  honor  motherhood.  Upon 
this  occasion  ministers  or  other  speakers  pay  the  highest 
tribute  to  motherhood.  On  Mother's  Day  everybody  is 
expected  to  wear  a  flower,  a  colored  one  if  his  mother  is 
living,  and  a  white  one  if  she  is  dead. 

Unfortunately,  the  observance  of  Mother's  Day  has 
thus  far  been  confined  mainly  to  the  citie^.    All  honor 


190  The  Community  Center 

to  mothers  everywhere;  but  to  the  mothers  living  on 
the  farms  we  owe  our  especial  gratitude.  As  a  rule,  the 
country  mother  toils  from  early  morning  till  late  at  night 
in  addition  to  caring  for  her  children.  She  makes  great 
sacrifices  for  her  children,  and  she  is  deserving  of  our  pro- 
foundest  respect  and  admiration. 

Suggestions.  (1)  It  has  occurred  to  us  that  we  might 
improve  greatly  our  present  custom  of  observing  Mother's 
Day.  Suppose,  for  example,  that  when  we  come  together 
at  the  country  church  or  the  schoolhouse  to  observe 
Mother's  Day,  we  spend  at  least  part  of  the  time  in  the 
discussion  of  ways  and  means  of  improving  the  conditions 
under  which  the  mother  shall  rear  her  children  and  perform 
her  other  duties  in  a  country  home.  If  such  discussion 
should  result  in  one  or  more  definite  improvements  of 
this  kind  in  even  a  few  homes  of  the  community,  would 
not  that  add  more  to  the  comforts  and  the  joys  of  mothers 
than  any  amount  of  praise  in  the  form  of  words  only? 
For  mother  can  scarcely  appreciate  fully  the  praise  we 
give  her,  if,  after  the  exercises  in  her  honor  are  over,  she 
has  to  return  to  a  poorly  equipped  kitchen  to  prepare 
the  Sunday  dinner  or,  worse  still,  if  she  had  to  stay  at 
home  to  prepare  dinner  while  the  rest  of  us  went  to  church 
to  speak  her  praise. 

In  justice  to  the  fathers  it  ought,  perhaps,  to  be  said 
that  their  failure  to  provide  the  best  possible  comforts 
for  their  wives  is  not  so  very  often  due  to  willful  neglect. 
It  is  due  rather,  we  surmise,  to  the  fact  that  their  mothers 
lived  under  similar  conditions.  Why,  therefore,  should 
their  wives  expect  better  conveniences  than  their  own 
mothers  enjoyed?  It  is  the  same  old  story  as  of  roads 
and  schools.  In  any  such  circumstances,  prejudice  or 
custom,  not  reason,  rules  our  actions. 


Country  Life  Programs  191 

(2)  Another  reason  why  this  bad  situation  obtains  in 
so  many  country  homes  is  the  fact  that  the  farmer,  if  he 
reasons  on  the  matter  at  all,  feels  that  first  of  all  he  has 
to  make  the  living  for  his  family.  His  wife's  work  seems 
to  be  a  matter  of  course.  So,  if  money  is  to  be  spent  for 
improvements  about  the  farm  home,  the  conveniences 
of  farm  labor,  not  the  conveniences  of  the  kitchen,  take 
precedence.  Almost  invariably  running  water  is  in- 
stalled at  the  barn  before  it  is  installed  in  the  kitchen. 
If  machinery  is  to  be  purchased,  it  is  usually  farm  machin- 
ery, not  the  machinery  necessary  in  the  kitchen  and 
about  the  home. 

A  few  years  ago  the  writer  stopped  at  a  farm  home  for 
dinner.  Upon  entering  the  home  he  noticed  the  wife 
with  a  water  pail  in  each  hand  ascending  a  rather  steep 
hill  to  a  mountain  spring  for  drinking  water.  Upon 
inquiry  he  learned  that  heirs  of  the  grandfather  who  first 
settled  there  and  built  his  home  had  for  a  hundred  years 
carried  drinking  water  from  that  spring  which,  as  nearly 
as  could  be  ascertained,  was  about  one  sixteenth  of  a  mile 
from  the  dwelling  house.  This  situation  suggested  the 
following  arithmetic  problem:  If  some  member  of  this 
family  had  made  only  two  trips  to  that  spring  each  day 
for  drinking  water,  how  far  had  some  one  traveled  in 
these  hundred  years  to  supply  that  home  with  drinking 
water  alone?  Two  trips  a  day,  one  sixteenth  of  a  mile 
each  way,  make  one  fourth  of  a  mile  traveled  each  day ; 
in  one  year  some  one  traveled  91 J  miles ;  and  in  100  years 
some  one  had  traveled  100  times  91 J  miles,  or  9125  miles. 
That  would  be  about  the  equivalent  of  walking  three 
times  the  distance  between  New  York  and  San  Francisco. 

This  situation  was  at  the  opposite  extreme  from  one 
which  was  found  shortly  afterwards  at  another  farm  home. 


192  The  Community  Center 

At  a  community  center  meeting  there  had  been  a  discus- 
sion about  the  possibihty  of  instaUing  running  water 
in  the  homes  by  piping  it  from  springs  at  higher  levels. 
One  man  at  least  got  the  idea.  Following  this  suggestion 
he  built  a  cement  tank  just  below  a  spring  on  the  hill- 
side above  his  home.  He  calculated  the  size  of  the  tank 
that  would  be  necessary  to  furnish  him  also  with  sufficient 
water  power  to  run  certain  of  his  farm  machinery.  Then 
he  piped  the  water  from  the  spring  into  the  tank  and  from 
the  tank  into  his  home  and  his  bam.  He  came  to  be  so 
fascinated  with  this  idea  that  in  time  he  was  running 
nearly  everything  about  the  place,  in  the  form  of  a  ma- 
chine, with  this  water  power.  Readers  who  have  been 
boys  on  a  farm  can  imagine  the  joy  of  the  two  boys 
in  this  home  when  the  father  attached  this  water  power 
to  the  old  grindstone. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Devotional  exercises 

3.  Current  events 

4.  "What  Mother  Means  to  Me,"  by  a  pupil 

5.  "How  I  Help  My  Mother,"  by  a  pupil 

6.  "How  Mother  Helps  Me,"  by  a  pupil 

7.  Songs 

8.  "How  to  Install  Running  Water  in  the  Country  Home,"  by 
a  citizen 

9.  "Conveniences  Which  I  Need  in  the  Kitchen,"  by  a  mother 

10.  "The  Mother's  Part  in  Making  the  Living  in  a  Farm  Home," 
by  a  mother 

11.  Songs,  and  a  social  half  hour 

Better  Farming 

Suggestions.  (1)  This  program  may  serve  as  a  sort 
of  general  introduction  to  a  number  of  programs  dealing 
with  particular  phases  of  farming.    This  and  all  other 


Country  Life  Programs  193 

farm  programs  should  be  made  as  practical  as  possible 
because,  if  the  people  are  interested  at  all,  they  desire 
some  very  definite  help  on  the  problems  that  actually 
confront  them. 

(2)  A  motion  picture  or  a  lantern-slide  lecture  may 
prove  helpful  in  driving  home  some  practical  suggestions. 
If  neither  of  these  is  available,  then  perhaps  the  county 
agricultural  agent,  the  county  superintendent  of  schools, 
or  a  progressive  farmer,  either  in  the  community  or  in 
an  adjoining  one,  can  be  secured  to  discuss  some  of  the 
most  vital  problems  of  the  farmers  and  of  the  farmers' 
wives.  But  if  none  of  these  special  features  can  be  pro- 
vided, then  let  the  people  discuss  their  problems  among 
themselves. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Improved  Farm  Machinery  as  Labor  Savers,"  by  a  farmer 

4.  "Boys'  and  Girls'  Agricultural  Clubs  as  Farmers'  Training 
Schools" 

5.  "How  to  Make  Farm  Life  Happier  for  Farm  Women,"  by  a 
farmer's  wife 

6.  Songs 

7.  "How  to  Spend  the  Leisure  Hours" 

8.  "How  to  Make  Better  Use  of  the  Telephone  and  the  Parcel 
Post" 

9.  "How  to  Use  the  School  as  a  Farm  Asset  " 
10.  Songs,  and  a  social  half  hour 

References 

Butterfield,  Chapters  in  Rural  Progress.    University  of  Chicago  Press, 

Chicago,  111. 
Bailey,  The  State  and  the  Farmer.     Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 
Bailey,   The  Training  of  Farmers.    The  Century  Company,  New 

York. 


194  The  Community  Center 

Butterfield,  The  Country  Church  and  the  Rural  Problem.    University 
of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago,  111. 

Health  Program 

Suggestions.  (1)  This  program  should  be  made  pri- 
marily instructive.  Many  people  living  in  the  country 
have  never  had  the  opportunity  of  learning  even  the  sim- 
plest laws  of  health.  They  do  not  have  the  facilities 
for  sanitary  living  that  the  city  affords.  A  few  definite 
suggestions  about  the  house  fly,  its  breeding  places, 
and  its  relation  to  typhoid  may  be  the  means  of  avoiding 
a  typhoid  epidemic  in  the  community.  Other  maladies, 
such  as  tuberculosis,  colds,  and  the  various  contagious 
diseases,  are  good  subjects  for  discussions. 

(2)  Nothing  could  be  more  appropriate  on  a  health 
program  than  some  plain  suggestions  relative  to  personal 
hygiene.  In  such  discussions  the  teacher  will,  of  course, 
use  due  caution  not  to  offend  or  to  allow  the  discussion 
to  go  beyond  its  proper  limitations. 

(3)  It  is  a  very  good  plan  to  have  a  local  physician 
address  the  meeting.  He  is  in  position  to  say  to  the  people 
what  the  teacher  would  not  dare  to  say  or  what  one 
parent  could  not  say  to  the  others.  His  experience 
among  the  homes  will  enable  him  to  emphasize  the 
things  most  important  to  the  health  of  the  community. 

(4)  The  motion  picture  companies  now  have  excellent 
films  showing  the'  ravages  of  the  house  fly,  the  causes  of 
tuberculosis,  the  dangers  of  stagnant  water,  etc.  These 
films  are  far  more  impressive  than  any  amount  of  "  lec- 
turing." 

(5)  In  a  good  many  communities  the  physicians  could 
be  interested  in  making  a  medical  inspection  of  the  school 
without  fees.    A  report  of  such  an  inspection  would  open 


Country  Life  Programs  195 

the    eyes  of   the   community   as  perhaps   nothing  else 
would. 

One  program  is  offered  below.     Others  may  be  prepared 
from  time  to  time  as  occasion  warrants. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "How  the  House  Fly  Spreads  Disease" 

4.  "Why  Ventilate  the  Bedroom" 

5.  "Why  We  Have  Colds" 

6.  Songs 

7.  "The  Principal  Causes  of  Disease  in  This  Community,"  by  a 
physician,  or, 

A  motion  picture 

8.  Songs 

References 

Bulletins  of  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. : 
No.  463  —  The  Sanitary  Privy. 
No.  345  —  Some  Common  Disinfectants. 
No.  393  —  Habit-forming  Agents. 
No.  459  —  House  Flies. 
No.  115  —  How  Insects  Affect  Health. 
No.  377  —  Harmfulness  of  Headache  Mixtures. 


King  Com 

Suggestions.  (1)  This  program  may  be  offered  in 
the  fall  after  the  corn  has  been  harvested,  when  the  farm- 
ers or  the  boys'  club  bring  their  best  products  to  the 
school  for  exhibition.  It  would  take  the  form  of  an  agri- 
cultural fair  or  exhibit.  Or,  if  a  corn  program  be  arranged 
in  the  spring,  it  may  be  turned  to  very  practical  use  by 
instruction  as  to  the  testing  of  seed  corn,  the  preparing 
of  the  soil  for  planting,  the  best  method  of  cultivation, 
etc.     If  possible,  have  the  county  agricultural  agent  or 


196  The  Community  Center 

other  agricultural  expert  present  to  offer  suggestions 
that  will  be  of  real  help  to  the  farmers.  Or,  perhaps  some 
farmer  of  the  community  can  offer  as  capable  service 
as  could  some  one  secured  from  the  outside. 

(2)  Let  every  one  be  free  to  ask  questions  after  the 
speaker  has  finished  his  address. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "The  Varieties  of  Corn  Best  Adapted  to  This  State" 

4.  "Preparing  the  Seed  Bed" 

5.  "Corn  Cultivation" 

6.  Songs 

7.  "Corn  as  a  Food  for  Animals" 

8.  "Corn  and  the  Silo" 

9.  "How  to  Test  Seed  Corn" 
10.  Songs 

References 

Bulletins  of  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. : 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  253,  The  Germination  of  Seed  Corn. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  414,  Corn  Cultivation. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  313,  Harvesting  and  Storing  Com. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  415,  Seed  Corn. 

Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  298,  Food  Value  of  Corn  and  Corn  Prod- 
ucts. 

The  Apple 

Suggestions.  (1)  In  a  community  where  apples  are 
grown  or  where  the  soil  and  climate  are  favorable  to  their 
production,  a  program  dealing  with  their  cultivation,  use, 
and  marketing  may  be  offered  in  "  apple  time.''  The 
teacher  should  invite  the  apple  growers  to  bring  a  few 
of  their  choice  fruits  for  exhibition.  A  prize  may  be 
offered  for  the  best  exhibit. 


Country  Life  Programs  197 

(2)  It  will  add  materially  to  the  effectiveness  of  this 
program,  if  the  county  agricultural  agent  or  a  horticul- 
tural expert  can  be  secured  to  meet  with  the  people  at 
one  of  the  orchards  in  the  community  and  give  demon- 
strations at  the  proper  seasons  in  transplanting  trees, 
tree  pruning,  gathering  the  crop,  packing  for  market, 
etc. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Why  This  Is  a  Good  Apple-producing  State" 

4.  "Best  Varieties  of  Apples  for  This  State" 

5.  "The  Transplanting  of  Trees" 

6.  "Pruning  the  Young  Trees" 

7.  Songs 

8.  "Pruning  an  Old  Orchard" 

9.  "  Diseases  and  Their  Remedies  (Spraying) " 

10.  "  Picking  and  Packing  Apples  " 

11.  "Marketing  Apples" 

12.  Songs 

References 

United    States    Department   of   Agriculture,    Washington,    D.  C, 

Circular  No.  7,  Orchard  Spraying. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  291,  Evaporation  of  Apples. 

Poultry 

Suggestions.  (1)  Organize  a  poultry  club  among  the 
boys  and  girls.  Secure  the  cooperation  of  the  county 
agricultural  agent  or  of  a  representative  of  the  state 
college  of  agriculture.  Valuable  literature  and  many 
suggestions  can  be  obtained  in  this  way. 

(2)  Find  out  who  among  the  community  are  especially 
interested  in  poultry  raising,  and  enlist  their  help  in  this 
program. 


198  The  Community  Center 

(3)  If  possible  arrange  for  a  poultry  show.  Offer 
prizes  for  the  best  birds  exhibited.  If  near  a  town,  it 
will  usually  be  possible  to  interest  the  bankers  and  mer- 
chants in  offering  the  prizes. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Are  We  Keeping  Enough  Fowls?" 

4.  "The  Kind  of  Fowls  to  Keep" 

5.  "Cooperative  Marketing  of  Eggs" 

6.  "Marketing  Eggs  by  Parcel  Post" 

7.  "Poultry  Buildings" 

8.  "Feeding  Poultry" 

9.  "Feeding  Young  Chicks" 

10.  "Poultry  Diseases  and  Remedies" 

11.  Songs 

References 

Bulletins  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. : 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  287,  Poultry  Management. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  51,  Standard  Varieties  of  Chickens. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  528,  Hints  to  Poultry  Raisers. 
Circular  No.  208   (Animal  Industry  Bureau),  The  Organization 

of  Girls'  Poultry  Clubs. 
Bulletin  No.  140  (Animal  Industry  Bureau),  Fattening  Poultry. 

Dairying 

Suggestions.  (1)  It  is  not  essential  that  a  farm  be 
called  a  dairy  farm  before  there  is  a  dairying  business. 
The  man  who  has  two  or  three  cows  may  be  a  dairyman 
on  a  small  scale. 

(2)  Have  the  most  successful  dairymen  or  farmers 
relate  some  of  their  experiences  and  offer  suggestions. 

(3)  If  at  all  possible,  secure  a  Babcock  milk  tester  and 
test  the  milk  of  several  cows.    This  can  easily  be  done. 


•    Country  Life  Programs  199 

Invite  the  farmers  to  bring  a  bottle  of  milk  from  each 
cow,  labeling  the  bottles  so  that  they  may  know  what 
per  cent  of  butter  fat  each  cow  produces.  There  will 
be  no  lack  of  interest  while  these  tests  are  being  made. 
They  will  result  in  the  farmers'  disposing  of  those  cows 
that  prove  to  be  merely  "  boarders." 

(4)  If  it  can  be  so  arranged,  have  a  day  meeting  at 
one  of  the  farms,  where  the  cows  can  be  judged  under  the 
direction  of  an  agricultural  expert. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "Good  Points  about  a  Dairy  Cow" 

4.  "Care  and  Feeding  of  Cows" 

5.  "Some  Common  Diseases  of  Cows  and  the  Remedies" 

6.  "Best  Breeds  of  Dairy  Cows" 

7.  "The  Advantages  of  the  Cream  Separator" 

8.  "Testing  of  Samples  of  Milk" 

9.  Songs 

References 

Bulletins  of  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. : 
Circular  No.  205  (Animal  Industry  Bureau),  Milk  and  Cheese 

Contents. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  106,  Breeds  of  Dairy  Cattle. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  55,  The  Dairy  Herd:    Its  Formation  and 

Management. 
-    Bulletin  No.  34  (Animal  Industry  Bureau),  American  Breeds  of 

Cattle  with  Remarks  on  Pedigrees. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  241,  Buttermaking  on  the  Farm. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  413,  The  Care  of  Milk  and  Its  Use  in  the 

Home. 

Alfalfa 

Suggestions.  (1)  Alfalfa  is  a  comparatively  new  crop 
in  many  sections  of  the  country  and  many  farmers  know 


200  The  Community  Center 

very  little  about  either  its  value  or  the  methods  of  pro- 
ducing it.  It  is  believed  some  soils  will  not  produce  it. 
This  program  more  than  any  of  the  others,  perhaps,  needs 
the  assistance  of  the  agricultural  expert. 

(2)  If  possible,  find  a  person  who  has  successfully  grown 
alfalfa,  and  ask  him  to  explain  all  about  it. 

(3)  Secure  literature  from  or  through  the  state  agri- 
cultural college,  and  a  week  or  two  before  the  meeting 
put  this  literature  into  the  hands  of  persons  who  will 
study  the  problem  and  report  at  the  meeting. 

A  Program 

1.  Songs 

2.  Current  events 

3.  "History  of  Alfalfa,"  by  a  pupil 

4.  "What  Alfalfa  Does  for  the  Soil  and  How" 

5.  "The  Kind  of  Soil  Necessary  for  the  Growth  of  Alfalfa" 

6.  "Application  of  Lime" 

7.  "Inoculating  the  Soil" 

8.  "Time  to  Seed  and  How" 

9.  "Alfalfa  as  a  Hay" 
10.  Songs 

References 

Cotton  Belt,  by  Alfored,  International  Harvester  Company,  Chicago, 

111. 
Write  the  U.  S.   Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C, 

and  your  State  College  of  Agriculture  for  literature  and  other* 

suggestions. 

Farm  Problems 

It  may  be  well  to  devote  at  least  one  or  two  meetings 
to  the  discussion  of  general  farm  problems.  The  fol- 
lowing topics  are  offered,  from  which  a  selection  may  be 
made  to  suit  the  needs  of  any  particular  community : 


Country  Life  Programs  201 

Farm  labor  Fanning  as  a  business 

Soil  depletion  Cooperation  among  farmers 

Noxious  weeds  Marketing  of  crops 

Insect  pests  Truck  farming 

Tenancy  Land  values 

Better  farming  Farm  machinery 

References 

Butterfield,    Chapters   in   Rural   Progress.    University   of    Chicago 

Press,  Chicago. 
Plunkett,     Rural  Life   Problems  in   the    United   States.    Macmillan 

Company,  New  York. 
Carney,  Country  Life  and  the  Country  School.     Row,  Peterson  and 

Company,  Chicago. 
Carver,  Selected  Readings  in  Rural  Economics.     Ginn  and  Company, 

Boston. 
Carver,  Principles  of  Rural  Economics.    Ginn  and  Company,  Boston. 

Selected  Programs 

The  following  are  a  few  programs  selected  at  random 
from  a  large  number  that  have  been  rendered  in  rural 
schools.  They  have  the  advantage  of  showing  how  some 
of  the  community  center  meetings  work  out  in  actual 
practice.  These  programs  are  typical  of  the  literary 
exercises  that  used  to  be  so  common  at  the  schoolhouse 
and  that  still  survive  in  some  places  in  a  not  greatly  modi- 
fied form.  They  may  be  greatly  improved,  but  mean- 
while they  may  serve  a  good  purpose  as  suggestions. 

Reading 

Recitation 

Song 

A  story 

Song 

Impersonation 

Recitation 


202  The  Community  Center 


Reading 

Recitation 

Song 

Debate:  Resolved,   That   conventions   are   better   suited   to   the 

people  than  primaries. 
Reading  of  the  school  paper 
Song. 


Song  —  "America" 

Recitation 

Recitation 

Story 

Duet  ' 

Song  and  music,  by  five  girls 

Readings 

Solo 

Debate:  Resolved,  That  art  is  more  attractive  to  the  eye  than 

nature. 
Song 


Song 

Election  of  officers 

Song 

Reading 

Song 

Impersonation 

Recitation 

Song 

Reading 

Song 

Talk,  by  a  citizen. 


Song  —  "America" 
Reading 
Wit  and  humor 
Reading 

Debate:  Resolved,  That  Washington  did   more  for  his  country 
than  Lincoln. 


Cotmtry  Life  Programs  203 


Impersonation 

Story  —  "Little  Brother" 

Reading 

Song 


Song 

Reading  —  "Calling  WiUie" 

Impersonation 

Vocal  solo 

Recitation 

Vocal  solo 

Recitation 

Song 

Debate:    Resolved,   That   we  receive  more  knowledge  through 

reading  than  through  observation. 
Songs 


Song 

Impersonation 

Recitation 

Recitation 

Reading  —  "Nolan's  Speech' 

Extemporaneous  talks 

Vocal  solo 

Recitation 

Songs 


Song  —  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner' 
Recitation 
Vocal  solo 
Recitation 
Vocal  duet 
Recitation 

Reading  —  "Aversion  to  Slang" 
Short  story- 
Patriotic  songs. 


204  The  Community  Center 

Song 

Reading 

Recitation 

Vocal  duet 

Recitation 

Biography 

Impersonation 

Song 

Debate :  Resolved,  That  fire  is  more  destructive  than  water. 

Vocal  solo 

Songs  ^ 


Song 
Story 

Impersonation 
Song 

Recitation 
Vocal  solo 
Reading 
Song 

Debate :  Resolved,  That  military  training  should  be  made  compul- 
sory for  young  men. 
Song 

The  following  programs  are  taken  from  a  bulletin  of 
the  Iowa  State  Teachers  College. ^  They  are  programs 
which  have  actually  been  rendered  in  community  centers 
in  the  vicinity  of  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa. 

Song  —  "Grasshopper  Green" 
Recitation 

Song  —  "  A  Doll's  Lullaby  " 
Dramatizing  Mother  Goose  Rhymes 
Music  —  choice  selections  on  the  victrola  \ 

Recitations 
Song 

Discussion :  Keeping  Records  in  the  Chicken  Business,  conducted 
by  a  number  of  interested  people  in  the  community. 

» June,  1916. 


Country  Life  Programs  205 

Song  —  "Jolly  Eskimos" 

Dialogue  —  "  Susanna's  Illness  " 

Song  —  "If  I  Only  Had  a  Home,  Sweet  Home" 

Dramatization  of  language  lesson 

Dialogue  —  "Pineville  Baby  Show" 

Discussion :  Corn  Raising  in  Blackhawk  County. 


A  group  of  songs 

Out-of-door  games  (The  automobiles  were  placed  in  a  circle  about 

the  volley  ball  court  so  that  their  headlights  lighted  up  the  court 

sufficiently  to  play  the  game  very  well) 
Supper  and  social    hour    indoors     (Everybody  spent  the  hour 

getting  acquainted  with  everybody  else) 


Vocal  solo 

Illustrated  lecture  —  "The  Building  of  Panama  Canal' 

Supper  and  social  hour. 


Song  ' 

Dialogue 

Piano  solo 

Dialogue 

Piano  solo 

Pantomime 

Duet 

Debate :  Resolved,  That  a  clean,  cranky  housewife  is  better  than 

a  dirty,  good-natured  one. 
Discussion  of  Hog  Cholera  by  the  United  States  Government 
Expert. 

(Hard-times  Program) 
Parade  by  those  in  hard-times  costumes 
Reading 
Song 

Mutt  and  Jeff 
"America" 

Presentation  of  prizes  for  best  hard-times  costume 
Talk  —  "  Better  Schools  " 


206  The  Community  Center 

Flag  salute,  by  the  school 

Song  —  "Little  George  Washington,"  by  the  school 
Hatchet  drill,  by  intermediate  grade  pupils 
Recitation  —  "A  Modern  Washington" 
Recitation  —  "Truthful  George" 
Recitation  —  "  George  Washington  " 
Recitation  —  "Which  General?" 
Piano  solo 

Dialogue  —  "A  Pair  of  Scissors,"  by  five  girls 
Military  drill,  by  twelve  boys 
Piano  solo 
'  "Song  of  Washington,"  by  six  girls 
Virginia  reel  in  costume,  by  the  grown  people  of  the  community 
"America,"  sung  by  all 


Corn  judging 

"  Corn  is  King,"  chart  explained  by  pupil  in  sixth  grade 

Informal  discussion  of  corn  growing,  by  farmers  present 

"Christmas  Lullaby,"  by  pupils  of  the  school 

Reading  contest,  between  pupils  of  Greeley  School  and  pupils 

from  the  Hearst  School 
Essay  —  "Christmas  Customs" 
Violin  solo 

Guessing  contest  with  silhouettes 
Refreshments  and  social  hour 


Vocal  duet 

Recitations 

Dialogue  —  "Thanksgiving  on  the  Farm" 

Vocal  solo 

Recitations 

Song  —  "  The  Goblin  Man  " 

" Glad  to  Be  a  Little  Girl" 

Vocal  solo 

Illustrated  talk  on  com  growing 

A  Prophecy.    The  theme  of  this  book,  which  we  have 
tried  to  put  into  the  form  of  suggestions,  is  embodied  in 


Country  Life  Programs  207 

a  prophecy  for  the  future  rural  community,  eloquently 
expressed  by  Dr.  Frederick  T.  Gates  in  a  pamphlet  en- 
titled The  Country  School  of  Tomorrow,  from  which  we 
take  the  liberty  of  quoting  a  few  paragraphs. 

A  new  science  or  a  new  art,  just  now  in  process,  perhaps  not  yet 
come  to  self-consciousness,  shall  be  fully  developed  for  our  schools  — 
the  art  of  recreation  for  young  and  old,  for  all  pursuits,  for  all  seasons, 
for  both  sexes,  indoors,  out  of  doors.  Some  sweet,  healthful,  happy, 
adapted  recreation  shall  enter  into  the  program,  not  occasionally, 
but  every  day,  for  young  and  old  alike.  Ultimately,  there  will  be 
professors  of  popular  recreation.  They  shall  be  sent  to  us  from  the 
colleges,  to  teach  us  all  the  ways  of  relief  from  strain  and  tedium, 
precisely  adapted.  And  all  together  we  shall  have  our  weekly  half 
holiday  for  community  recreations. 

Beauty,  too,  we  shall  cultivate  no  less  than  recreation.  It  is 
deHghtful  to  know  that  the  sense  of  beauty  in  sight  and  sound  is 
instinctive  in  mankind,  ineradicable,  fundamental  as  hunger.  Deeper 
than  intelligence  it  lies  in  our  physical  being,  and  runs  down  man- 
kind through  many  orders  to  the  very  insects.  The  sense  of  beauty 
in  our  rural  children,  as  yet  almost  uncultivated  and  undeveloped, 
is  a  promising  field  of  joy  and  blessedness.  Accordingly,  there  shall 
be  music,  vocal  and  instrumental.  We  shall  have  an  orchestra  —  if 
possible,  a  band,  a  chorus  —  and  dancing  shall  be  taught  in  utmost 
grace  of  movement,  beginning  with  the  littlest  children,  singly  and 
in  groups.  The  laws  of  beauty  are  indeed  little  known  as  yet,  but 
scenes  of  beauty  shall  everywhere  be  pointed  out  and  analyzed  and 
dwelt  upon  to  the  full,  and  the  art  of  drawing  them  shall  be  offered 
to  all,  as  a  means  of  close  observation,  of  analysis,  and  of  more  per- 
fect recognition  and  enjoyment  of  beauty. 

So  we  have  brought  our  little  community  at  last  to  art  and  refine- 
ment. Such  a  people  will  demand  literature  and  a  library  of  their 
own.  And  when  they  begin  to  select  and  to  read  good  books  for 
themselves,  our  particular  task  will  be  done.  We  may  leave  them 
then,  I  think,  to  their  natural  local  leaders.  We  have  taught  them 
how  to  live  the  life  of  the  farm,  of  the  fireside,  of  the  rural  community, 
to  make  it  healthful,  intelligent,  efficient,  productive,  social,  and 
no  longer  isolated.  We  have  wakened  sluggishness  to  interest  and 
inquiry.    We  have  given  the  mind,  in  the  intelligent  conduct  of  the 


208  The  Community  Center 

daily  vocation,  in  the  study  and  enjoyment  of  nature,  material  for 
some  of  the  joys  of  the  intellectual  life.  We  have  trained  the  eye 
for  beauty,  the  ear  for  harmony,  the  soul  for  gentleness  and  courtesy, 
and  made  possible  to  these  least  of  Christ's  brethren  the  life  of  love 
and  joy  and  admiration.  We  have  made  country  life  more  desirable 
than  city  life  and  raised  up  in  the  country  the  natural  aristocracy  of 
the  nation. 

Such  is  our  dream.     Must  it  be  altogether  a  dream?     Surely, 
it  ought  to  be  and,  therefore,  will  be,  realized,  if  not  in  its  processes 

—  and  I  have  described  processes  at  all  mainly  for  pictorial  effect 

—  certainly  in  its  results.  If  it  be  an  achievement  beyond  our  present 
civilization,  then  our  more  enlightened  and  capable  children  will 
certainly  accomplish  it.     Come,  in  the  end,  it  must  and  will. 


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1911. 
Steinmetz,  C.  p.    America  and  the  New  Epoch.    Harper  &  Brothers, 

New  York,  1916. 
Weeks,  Ruth  Mary.    Socializing  the  Three  R's.    Macmillan  Com- 
pany, New  York,  1919. 
Wilkinson,  W.  A.    Rural  School  Management.    Silver,  Burdett  & 

Company,  Boston,  1917. 
Wilson,  W.  H.    Evolution  of  the  Country  Community.    The  Pilgrim 

Press,  Boston,  1912. 
WooFTER,    T.   J.     Teaching  in  Rural   Schools.    Houghton   Mifflin 

Company,  Boston,  1917. 

II.  Community  Centers 

1.  General 

Dewey,   John.     The  School  and  Society.    University  of   Chicago 

Press,  Chicago. 
Galpin,  C.  J.    Rural  Social  Centers  in  Wisconsin.    University  of 
Wisconsin,  Bulletin  234. 


> 


Bibliography  211 

King,   Irving.    Education  for  Social  Efficiency.    D.   Appleton  & 

Company,  New  York,  1913. 
Perry,  Clarence  Arthur.    Extension  of  Public  Education.    United 

States  Bureau  of  Education  Bulletin,  1915. 

School  as  a  Factor  in  Neighborliood  Development,  Russell  Sage 

Foundation,  New  York,  1914. 
Ward,  Edward  J.    Social  Center.     D.  Appleton  &  Company,  New 

York,  1913. 

2.  Recreation 

Bancroft,  Jessie  H.  Games  for  the  Playground,  Home,  School  and 
Gymnasium.     Macmillan  Company,  New  York,  1909. 

Brooks,  Eugene  C.  Agricultural  and  Rural  Life  Day.  United 
States  Bureau  of  Education,  Bulletin  No.  40,  1913. 

Curtis,  Henry  S.  Play  and  Recreation  in  the  Open  Country.  Ginn 
&  Company,  Boston,  1914. 

Eggleston,  Joseph  Dupuy.  Work  of  the  Rural  School.  Harper  & 
Brothers,  New  York,  1913. 

Elson,  J.  C,  and  Trilling,  Blanche  M.  Social  Games  and  Group 
Dances.    J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  Philadelphia,  1919. 

Farwell,  Parris  Thaxter.  Village  Improvement.  Sturgis  & 
Walton  Company,  New  York,  1913. 

Hanmer,  Lee  F.,  and  Knight,  Howard  R.  Sources  of  Information 
on  Play  and  Recreation.  The  Department  of  Recreation,  Russell 
Sage  Foundation,  New  York,  1915. 

Hanmer,  Lee  F.  The  Gary  Public  Schools  Report  on  Physical  Train- 
ing and  Play.    General  Education  Board,  New  York,  1918. 

Lee,  Joseph.  Play  in  Education.  Macmillan  Company,  New  York, 
1915. 

McKeever,  William  A.  Farm  Boys  and  Girls.  Macmillan  Com- 
pany, New  York,  1912. 

3.  Entertainments 

Bates,  Esther  Willard.  Pageants  and  Pageantry.  Ginn  &  Com- 
pany, New  York,  1912. 

Chubb,  Percival,  and  associates.  Festivals  and  Plays  in  School 
and  Elsewhere.    Harper  &  Brothers,  New  York,  1912. 

Frank,  Maude  Morrison.  Short  Plays  about  Famous  Authors, 
Henry  Holt  &  Company,  New  York,  1915. 


2i2  Bibliography 

Greet,  Ben.    Guide  and  Index  to  Plays,  Festivals  and  Masques. 

Doubleday,  Page  &  Company,  New  York,  1912. 
Mackey,  Constance  D'Arcy.     Costumes  and  Scenery  for  Amateurs 

—  A  Practical  Working  Handbook.     Henry  Holt  &  Company, 

New  York,  1915. 
SCHAUFFLER,  ROBERT  H.     Our  American  Holidays.     Moffat,   Yard 

&  Company,  New  York. 
Stern,  Renie  B.     Neighborhood  Entertainments.     Sturgis  &  Walton 

Company,  New  York,  1910. 
Walker,  Alice  Johnston.    Little  Plays  from  American  History  for 

Young  Folks.     Henry  Holt  &  Company,  New  York,  1914. 
Wade,  Mary  Hazelton.    Little  Folks*  Plays  of  American  Heroes. 

Richard  G.  Badger,  Boston,  1914. 

4.  Mime 

Catalogues  of  Silver,  Burdett  &  Company  and  C.  C.  Birchard  & 

Company,  Boston. 
Beacon  Series  of  Vocal   Selections.      Silver,    Burdett   &  Company, 

Boston. 
Alexander,  Birdie.     Songs  We  Like  to  Sing.    Silver,  Burdett  & 

Company,  Boston,  1912. 
Parker,    McConathy,    Miessner    &    Birge.    Progressive   Music 

Series  —  One  Book  Course  for  Ungraded  Schools  and  Community 

Singing.     Silver,  Burdett  &  Company,  Boston,  1917. 
Parsons,  Gertrude.    High  School  Song  Book.    Silver,  Burdett  & 

Company,  Boston,  1919. 

5.  Clubs 

Bernheimer,  Charles  Siligman,  and  Cohen,  Jacob  M.  Boys*  ClvJbs. 

The  Baker  &  Taylor  Company,  New  York,  1914. 
BuRRELL,   Mrs.   Caroline  Benedict.    Woman's  Club  Work  and 

Programs;   or  First  Aid  to  Club  Woman.    The  Page  Company, 

Boston,  1913. 
Puffer,   J.   Adams.    The  Boy  and  His  Gang.    Houghton   Mifflin 

Company,  Boston,  1912. 
Roberts,  Joseph  T.     Primer  of  Parliamentary  Law.     Doubleday, 

Page  &  Company,  New  York. 


INDEX 


Agricultiiral  clubs,  131. 

Agricultiiral  fair,  83. 

Alfalfa,    suggestions   for    a   program 

entitled,  199-200. 
Amateur  theatricals,  152-157. 
Apple,  the,  suggestions  for  a  program 

entitled,  196-197. 
Arithmetic,  117. 
Athletics  and  play,  132. 

Bailey,  Dr.  L.  H.,  65. 

Better  farming,  suggestions  for  a 
program  entitled,  192-194. 

Better  teaching,  90. 

Bible  stories,  suggestions  for  a  pro- 
gram entitled,  175—176. 

Boys'  and  girls'  agricultural  clubs, 
131-132. 

Bureau  of  Education,  United  States, 
4,  77;  bulletins  of,  135;  free 
literature  available  from,  126 ; 
Home  Division  of,  125. 

Butterfield,  Dr.  Kenyon  L.,  129. 

Capital  stock,  88. 

Gary,  C.  P.,  115. 

Child  Welfare  Magazine,  125. 

Christmas  program,  161-162. 

Church,  the  rural,  23-26. 

Claxton,  Dr.  P.  P.,  4,  125. 

Clean-up-and-Beautify  Day,  182. 

Collier,  John,  54. 

Columbus  Day,  suggested  program 
for  celebration  of,  148-149. 

Common  interests,  45. 

Comm\inity,  a  definition  of,  40. 

Community  and  National  Life,  Les- 
sons in,  4. 

Community  building,  181. 

Community  center  idea,  the,  40. 

Commimity  center,  a  function  of, 
51 ;  a  meeting  place,  49 ;  an  or- 
ganization, 51 ;  initial  steps,  142 ; 
ultimate  aim  of,  141. 

Commimity  cooperation,  how  some 
teachers  have  secured  it,  94. 

Community  interests,  42,  44. 

Community  history,  83. 

Community  leaders,  developing  of ,  35. 

Community  survey,  81,  107. 

Contracts  of  teachers,  legal  and 
moral,  97. 

Constructive  program,  developing 
a.  39. 


Country  life,  suggestions  for  a  pro- 
gram entitled,  184r-185. 
Crothers,  Dr.  Samuel  M.,  8. 
Cultural  ideal,  60. 
Current  events,  61,  119. 

Dairying,  suggestions  for  a  program 

entitled,  198-199. 
Davis,  Professor  B.  M.,  91. 
Day  meetings,  advantages  of,  115. 
Debate,  suggestions  for,  149-152. 
Demonstration  work,  119. 
Department  of  Agriculture,   United 

States,  19. 

Entertainment  for  profit,  136-140. 
Evening  classes,  84,  135. 
Extra  dividends,  88. 

Farm  pageant,  157. 

Farmers'  clubs,  26,  129-131. 

Farm    problems,    suggestions    for    a 

program  entitled,  200-201. 
Finley,  Dr.  John  H.,  2. 
Fisk,  Dr.  Eugene  Lyman,  59. 
Foght,  Harold  W.,  59. 
Food  Administration,  2,  12,  13. 
Food  Pledge  Card  Campaign,  6, 12, 88. 
Foster,    Warren    Dunham,    49,    51, 

75,  170. 

Galpin,  C.  J.,  40,  41. 
Gates,  Dr.  Frederick  T.,  207. 
Good  roads,   suggestions  for  a  pro- 
gram entitled,  186-189. 
Grange,  the,  49,  129-131. 
Gulick,  Dr.  Luther  H.,  53. 
Gymnastic  drills  and  games,  119. 

Haberman,  Eugene,  54. 
Halloween  social,  158-160. 
Harvest  Home  Day,  160. 
Health  program,  194-195. 
Historical  pageant,  156-157. 
Hogan,  Jr.,  John,  47,  48. 
Hoosier  Schoolmaster,  145. 
Hoover,  Herbert,  1,  4. 

Illiteracy,  the  problem  of,  135. 
Improved  living  conditions,  45. 
Indian,   the,   suggestions  for  a  pro- 
gram entitled,  173-174. 
Individual  interests,  44. 


Judd,  Dr.  Charles  H.,  4. 


213 


214 


Index 


Kelley,  Oliver  H.,  129. 
King  Corn,  suggestions  for  a  program 
entitled,  195-196. 

Language,  116. 

Larson,  W.  E.,  69,  106. 

Leadership,  agencies  for  rural,  20 
an  example  of  unconscious,  31 
meaning  of,  18;  the  necessity  of 
17 ;  present  status  of  rural,  18 
secret  of,  30;  strategic  position 
of  school  for,  28;  teacher  may 
assume,  105. 

Lecture  course,  85. 

Leisure,  the  enjoyment  of,  57-70. 

Lessons  in  Community  and  National 
Life,  4,  5. 

Liberty  Bond  drives,  6,  88. 

Lincoln's  Birthday,  suggestions  for 
a  program  celebrating,  179-180. 

Local  history,  suggestions  for  a  pro- 
gram entitled,  174-175. 

Marshall,  Dean  Leon  C,  4. 

Moore,  Miss  Agnes,  55. 

Mother's    Day,    suggestions    for    a 

program   celebrating,    189-192. 
Motion  pictures,  169-173. 
Music  program,  162-165. 

National  Congress  of  Mothers,  124. 
National  Education  Association,  3. 
National  patriotism,  86. 
New  Creek  school,  36-39. 

Old  Home  Week  Celebration,  157. 
Organization,  51-53,  105. 

Parent-teacher  associations,  124-129. 

Personal  interests,  61-6-4. 

Play  and  athletics,  132. 

Plunkett,  Sir  Horace,  19. 

Potato  race,  133. 

Poultry,  suggestions  for  a  program 
entitled,  197-198. 

Presbyterian  Board,  23. 

Programs,  current  events  a  promi- 
nent feature  of,  143;  day,  115; 
for  entertainment,  141-180;  for 
special  occasions,  120;  participa- 
tion in  by  parents.  122;  special 
school,  115-123;  suited  to  com- 
munity, 141 ;    variation  of,  142. 

Recreation,  71-77. 
Red  Cross  drives,  6,  88. 


Roads,  good,  program  for,  186-189  ; 

lessons  in  building,  187. 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,  20. 
Ruediger,  Dr.  W.  C.  57. 
Rural  church,  the,  23-27. 
Rural  home,  the,  20-21. 
Rural   leadership,    agencies  for,   20; 

present  status  of,  18. 
Rural    school,     the,     as    agency    of 

leadership,  28;    lack  of  incentives 

in,  98 ;    strate^c  position  of,  28. 
Rural   surveys,    in   Illinois,    72;     in 

Missouri,  73. 

School  attendance,  84,  96,  97. 

School  athletics,  87. 

School  community,  the,  41. 

School  exhibit,  83. 

School  extension  work,  27. 

School  libraries,  86. 

Selected  programs,  201-206. 

Smith-Lever  Act,  74. 

Social  capital,  78. 

Special     occasions,     programs     for, 

120. 
Spelling  bee,  144-146. 
State  leadership,  19. 
Stories  of  great  men,  a  program,  166. 

Teacher,    the,    as    leader,    29;     the 

strategic  position  of,  32. 
Three-legged  race,  133. 
Travel  program,  167-169. 
Tug  of  war,  134. 
Tustin,  Lloyd  T.,  80. 

Virginia,  school  improvement  leagues 

of,  12. 
Visiting  days,  121. 
Vocational  ideal,  60. 

Wagner,  Dr.  Charles  A.,  128. 

Ward,  Edward  J.,  48. 

Washington's   Birthday,    suggestions 

for  a  program  celebrating,  177-179. 
Wilson,    Miss    Margaret    Woodrow, 

2,  106. 
WUson,  Dr.  Warren  H.,  23,  72. 
Wilson,    Woodrow,    letter    from,    3; 

active  support  of,  50. 
Wisconsin  plan,  the,  115. 
Written  work,  exhibits  of,  119. 

Ye  Old  Time  School  Days.  147-148. 

Zueblin,  Professor  Charles,  8. 


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